THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


/s* 


FREDERICK  O.  SIBLEY. 


ZANEE  KOORAN 

A  ROMANCE  OF  INDIA  IN  THE  TIME 
OF  THE  GREAT  SEPOY  REBELLION 

BY 

FREDERICK  O.  SIBLEY 

'  SffiBSSffiK: 

*  9Htfia&£3siam  9  l&jifi  " 

•  i  A'^fRrmH^^vt  5  I 

•  ^/fstffiimin\\\\\-w^'^  • 

F.  TENNYSON  NEELY  CO. 

NEW  YORK                                                          LONDON 

Copyright,  1901, 

by 

FREDERICK  O.  SIBLEY, 

in 

the 

United  State* 

and 
Great  Britain. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 


s 
i 


•3537 


TO 

THE  PARENTS  WHO  BORE  ME,    , 

AND 

UNDER  WHOSE  LOVING  CARE  I  STILL  ABIDE, 

THIS  BOOK  IS  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 
BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  PAQK 

A   Dilemma 1 

CHAPTER    II. 
Off  for  the  East 15 

CHAPTER  III. 
Benares,  the  Holy 24 

CHAPTER   IV. 
What  Zanee  Kooran  Had  to  Communicate 40 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  Delicate  Mission 58 

CHAPTER   VI. 
A  Serious  State  of  Affairs 74 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Situation  as  It  Was 92 

%  CHAPTER   VIII. 
The  Siege  Begins 95 

CHAPTER   IX. 
The  Fate  of  Futteghur 105 

CHAPTER  X. 
A  Bit  of  British  Valor. .  .  117 


iv  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XI. 
An  Effort  Grim  and  Grand  ......................  126 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Surrender  and  What  Succeeded  It.  ..........  137 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
The  Hill  Fortress  of  Culpeedah  ...................  147 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Tiger  Shows  His  Teeth  ......................  156 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Confidences  Misplaced  ............................  167 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
id  Doubts  and  Fears  ...........................  182 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Worst  Apparent  ..............................  191 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
"To  the  Skirl  of  the  Pipers'  Playing  "  ...........  201 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Last  Battle  ..................................  210 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Mourning  and  Mystification  ......................  222 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Revelations  and  Rejoicing  ........................  232 


PREFACE. 

IN  presenting  to  the  public  the  volume  now  in 
hand,  the  author  begs  it  to  be  borne  in  mind  that 
the  English  Sepoy  Service  in  India.,  at  the  time 
of  the  Great  Eebellion,  was  just  a  century  old. 
Though  as  early  as  in  the  year  1746  native  troops 
were  trained  to  European  tactics,  by  the  French, 
.  at  the  siege  of  Cudalore,  it  was  not  until  the  "Black 
Hole"  tragedy  of  June  20th,  at  Calcutta,  had  been 
avenged,  and  peace  was  again  restored,  that  the 
first  battalion  of  Bengal  Sepoys  was  raised  by  the 
British. 

It  is  true  that  England  to-day  governs  India  with 
Hindu  soldiers,  who  fight  bravely  beside  the  Briton, 
laying  down  their  lives,  when  necessary,  to  aug 
ment  the  power  or  to  uphold  the  dignity,  as  the 
case  may  be,  of  the  flag  under  which  they  have 
enlisted.  It  is  also  true  that  they  have  done  so, 
for  the  most  part,  ever  since  the  Sepoy  system 
has  been  formed,  enlarged  and  perfected  by  of 
ficers,  who  nave  led  these  armies  from  triumph 
to  triumph,  until  now  the  British  flag  floats  vic 
toriously  over  the  strongholds  of  the  most  power 
ful  native  princes. 

But,  in  the  beginning,  a  very  grave  mistake  was 
made  by  the  Anglo-Indian  Government,  neverthe 
less,  in  not  recognizing  all  the  privileges  of  that 


vi  Preface. 

curse  of  India,  caste.  Eather  tHan  granting  an 
equality  of  wages  and  perquisites,  as  should  have 
been  done,  to  each  native  officer  and  private  of 
the  same  grade  in  the  army,  the  Brahmin  Sepoys, 
for  example,  because  they  belonged  to  a  class  that 
claims  superiority,  and  with  whom  the  military 
profession  is  second  in  honor  only  to  that  of  a 
priest,  were  allowed  higher  pay,  and  indeed  many 
more  comforts  and  immunities  than  farmers  or  me 
chanics.  Truth  to  tell,  they  were  given  frequent 
furloughs  on  high  days  and  festivals,  while  the 
fear  of  interfering  with  their  religion,  even  led  to 
concessions  and  indulgences  that  came  to  be  re 
garded  by  them  as  matters  of  right,  to  the  serious 
obstruction  of  military  duty,  and  alas !  the  too 
lax  enforcement  of  proper  discipline. 

For,  instead  of  being  taught  that  prominence 
and  promotion  are  due  to  superior  ability  and  sol 
diery  qualities,  they  were  often  allowed  to  claim 
them  by  mere  seniority  and  the  absurd  distinction 
of  caste.  Hence,  they  not  only  retained  the  power 
of  dictation  in  their  own  hands,  as  you  may  say, 
but  escaped  many  of  the  hardships  of  the  serv 
ice,  greatly  to  the  disgust  and  chagrin  of  those 
of  lower  caste,  whose  duties  were  thereby  multi 
plied  as  well  as  made  more  arduous. 

Furthermore,  the  action  taken  in  regard  to  the 
titular  dignity  of  the  royal  house  of  Delhi,  was 
undoubtedly  another  paramount  cause  of  the  mu 
tiny.  Lord  Dalhousie,  having  been  authorized  by 
the  Court  of  Directors,  on  the  death  of  the  heir-ap 
parent  in  1849,  to  "terminate  the  dynasty  of  Ti- 
mour,  whenever  the  reigning  king  should  die,"  had, 
to  alleviate,  as  he  hoped,  the  unpleasantness  of 


Preface.  vii 

this,  ventured  on  a  compromise  agreeing  to  rec 
ognize  the  king's  grandson  as  heir-apparent,  pro 
vided  the  family  would  quit  the  fortress  of  Delhi 
for  the  royal  palace  of  Kootub. 

As  it  unfortunately  happened,  this  was  very  hu 
miliating  to  the  royal  household ;  and,  though  they 
were  powerless  to  do  other  than  obey,  the  "insult" 
was  brooded  over  for  many  a  day  by  the  Delhi 
Mohammedans.  Therefore,  these  were  ready,  at 
the  first  outbreak,  to  avenge  their  grievance  by 
joining  the  malcontents,  thus  making  of  Delhi  a 
hotbed  for  the  whole  rebellion. 

Among  other  causes  of  the  mutiny,  was  the 
vague  impression  cherished  alike  by  Hindus  and 
Mohammedans,  that  ultimately  the  system  of  caste 
would  be  abolished,  and  a  foreign  policy  forced 
upon  all  the  races  of  the  empire.  Also,  the  very 
natural  aversion  entertained  by  them  to  leing  ruled 
over  by  a  race  of  foreigners,  for  whom  they  had  no 
special  liking  anyway,  and  of  whom,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  they  had  heard  not  even  a  word  until  with 
in  a  few  .hundred  years. 

Accordingly,  was  it  any  wonder  that  on  these 
several  points,  the  races  of  India  were  sufficiently 
of  one  mind  to  be  mutual  helpers  when  the  day 
of  trouble  came — aye  !  to  join  shoulder  to  shoulder 
in  a  mighty  effort  to  drive  the  hated  Feringhees 
(Europeans)  from  the  whole  peninsula?  No,  and 
on  account  of  their  vast  numbers,  and  the  great 
ness  of  the  territory  occupied  by  them,  neither  was 
it  any  marvel  that  the  sternest  of  stern  measures 
were  required  to  be  carried  out  with  the  utmost 
possible  dispatch,  in  quelling  the  Great  Kebellion. 


INTRODUCTION. 

THE  high  road  of  fiction  has  been  so  often 
trodden  by  lovers  of  literature,  that  one  could 
with  difficulty  convince  them  of  the  existence  of 
several  little  by-paths  of  originality  which  they  had 
constantly  overlooked,  but  which  when  followed 
lead  to  broad  avenues  of  vision. 

This  charming  volume  is  filled  with  characters 
and  situations  that  are  new,  exciting  and  instruc 
tive. 

Men  and  women,  who  by  their  brave  deeds  have 
made  the  history  of  the  world,  stand  out  boldly 
in  these  pages  as  the  glory  of  their  achievements, 
their  steadfastness  of  purpose  and  courage  are  told 
in  telling  sentences  by  this  talented  writer.  The 
soul-inspiring  deeds  of  valor  performed  by  the 
hero  and  his  friends,  cannot  but  kindle  the  fierc 
est  patriotisnrtn  every  breast. 

The  heroine  is  so  beautiful,  true,  strong  and 
womanly,  that  she  unconsciously  enters  the  heart 
of  the  reader  who  follows  her,  almost  breathless, 
through  numberless  dramatic  episodes.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  find  in  the  whole  realm  of  history 
or  romance  more  realistic  and  exciting  descrip 
tions  of  the  horrors  and  din  of  battle. 

The  several  conflicts  which  take  place  in  this 
story  are  depicted  with  such  skill  that  even  the 
most  phlegmatic  must  be  strongly  moved. 


Introduction.  ix 

The  luxurious  homes  and  delightful  manner  of 
living  in  the  Orient  add  much  to  the  charm  of 
this  work.  The  customs  and  habits  of  the  natives 
as  well  as  their  characteristics  could  only  be  de 
scribed  by  one  thoroughly  conversant  with  them 
and  their  ways. 

This  charming  story  will  not  fail  to  enlighten 
many  on  a  subject  practically  unknown,  and  too 
much  laudation  cannot  be  bestowed  upon  the  tal 
ented  author,  who  has  given  the  world  this  re 
markable  work. 

JOSEPH  TYLER  BUTTS. 


ZANEE  KOORAN. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  DILEMMA. 

I  WAS  twenty-nine  years  old  when  I  received  my 
commission  of  captain  in  the  East  Indian  service. 
Up  to  that  time  I  had  never  dreamed  of  leav 
ing  my  native  land  to  rough  it  among  the  pagans. 
Pleasant,  jubilant  even  had  been  my  life,  though 
practically  moral,  reasonably  temperate,  in  the  bar 
racks  at  Chatham  for  seven  years.  Yes,  for  seven 
years  I  had  massed  and  drilled  with  old  acquaint 
ances  and  new,  and  for  seven  more  might  have  re 
mained  content  with  being  a  subaltern,  and  so  on 
for  aught  I  knew  till  the  end  of  my  days,  had  not 
that  rupture  occurred  between  father  and  me. 

My  father,  alas,  had  been  a  proud  man  and  a 
set  one.  He  was  exceedingly  vain  of  our  line 
age.  Our  genealogical  tree  had  been  quite  a  prom 
inent  one,  and  the  glory  of  that  was  Li<  permanent 
joy.  He  had  its  whole  history  by  heart;  could 
tell  you  every  incident  from  the  time  of  Sir  Guy 


2  Zanee  Kooran. 

Clermonte,  the  founder  of  our  house,  to  the  pres 
ent  day. 

This  Guy  Clermonte  had  been  an  esquire  in  the 
time  of  the  Black  Prince,  who  had  knighted  him  on 
the  field  of  Poictiers  for  deeds  of  noble  daring, 
the  accolade  bestowing  with  his  own  hand; 
in  connection  with  which  he  had  given  him  a 
grand  estate,  and  this  greatly  augmented  in  his 
later  years  for  further  acts  of  prowess  and  use 
fulness. 

From  that  time — the  middle  of  the  fourteenth 
century — there  had  been,  all  told,  seventeen 
knights  at  the  head  of  our  family,  my  father,  Sir 
Edgerton,  being  the  seventeenth. 

Thanks  to  the  ever  increasing  value  of  the  prop 
erty,  when  he  came  into  possession  of  the  title 
and  estate,  father  found  himself  a  very  wealthy 
man.  Not  only  did  he  own  our  fine  ancestral 
residence  in  London,  but  there  was  Clermonte 
Hall,  down  in  Hampshire,  where  I  was  born,  with 
a  whole  township  attached.  And  then,  he  had 
interests  in  several  tin  and  copper  mines  out  in 
Cornwall.  Furthermore,  my  mother  had  been 
the  daughter  of  a  wealthy  viscount — Mordaunt 
was  the  name — and  by  her  demise,  due  to  usher 
ing  me  into  the  world,  he  had  come  into  possession 
of  still  more  wealth. 

Accordingly  he  was  one  of  the  most  opulent  men 
of  the  day,  and  added  to  that,  popular  and  influ 
ential.  He  had  sat  in  Parliament,  held  many  im 
portant  civil  offices — some  of  them  foreign  ones — 
and  was  known  throughout  the  United  Kingdom. 
I  was  his  only  child,  his  direct  heir.  Could  I 
have  expected  anything  else,  therefore,  than  his 


A  Dilemma.  3 

planning  for  me  a  marriage  sooner  or  later,  that 
would  be  in  accordance  with  his  taste.,  whether 
it  was  with  mine  or  not? 

Having  never  dreamed  of  such  a,  thing,  imag 
ine  my  surprise  when  he  called  me  into  the  li 
brary  one  morning  during  a  run  of  mine  up  to 
our  home  on  Belgrave  Square  and,  with  his  grav 
est  expression,  said: 

"Henry,  my  boy,  why  do  you  ignore  the  press 
ing  invitation  Lord  Listerton  has  given  you  to 
visit  him  at  his  house  at  Windsor  ?" 

"You  are  mistaken,  father;  I  haven't  ignored 
it,"  I  replied.  "I  promptly  penned  him  regrets 
that  other  affairs  required  my  attention." 

"Other  affairs  indeed !"  he  exclaimed.  "Boy, 
have  the  kindness  to  look  me  in  the  eye,"  he  said 
sternly,  stopping  suddenly  before  me. 

Hard  and  cold  sounded  his  voice  as  he  said: 
"Now,  listen :  For  years  I  have  put  up  with  your 
nonsensical  military  life.  The  greater  part  of 
the  time  you  have  been  away  from  home — out  of 
my  life  as  much  as  if  I  had  no  son,  and  I've  never 
complained.  You#  appeared  to  love  soldiering, 
which  was  by  no  means  unnatural" — this  opinion 
I  supposed  he  based  on  Sir  Guy's  fame — "and  I 
chose  to  let  you  have  your  way,  firmly  persuaded 
you  would  in  good  season  come  to  your  tenses  and 
form  a  union  with  some  family  that  would  be  a 
credit  to  our  name.  But,  on  the  contrary,  you 
shun  society  more  and  more,  always  having  the 
army — the  army,  from  which  you  haven't  derived 
an  honor  yet — for  an  excuse — curse  it!  Now 
you've  1-i-t-e-r-a-l-l-y  refused  Lord  Listerton's  in 
vitation — that,  too,  when  the  countess  joined  most 


4  Zanee  Kooran. 

earnestly  in  the  request.  Why,  boy,  it's  preposter 
ous  !  Hang  it !  don't  you  know—don't  you  real 
ize  you  can  have  the  Lady  Katharine  for  your 
wife,  if  you'll  only  manage  rightly  ?" 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  speaking  mechanically. 
Had  a  chasm  opened  at  my  feet,  I  could  hardly 
have  been  more  surprised. 

This  was  not  because  Lady  Katharine  was  the 
eldest  daughter  of  Lord  Listerton,  and  he  one  of 
the  foremost  peers  of  the  realm ;  it  was  rather  due 
to  her  being  what  she  was,  or  what  I  thought  she 
was,  in  respect  to  age,  disposition  and  the  like, 
notwithstanding  fine  clothes,  cosmetics  and  false 
hair. 

You  see,  she  had  once  beaten  me  so  unmercifully 
when  I  was  a  boy  for  teasing  her  in  her  father's 
garden,  that  I  had  not  forgotten  how  much  larger 
and  stronger  she  was  than  myself;  above  all,  how 
her  sharp,  angular,  beak-like  face  had  blazed  with 
fury,  hatred  and  scorn.  She  had  loomed  up  be 
fore  me  in  horror's  fancy  like  an  Amazon,  and 
as  I  then  saw  her,  remained  as  fresh  as  ever  in 
my  mind.  Hence  father  could  not  have  mentioned 
a  name  to  me  more  odious  for  matrimony. 

"Remember,"  father  continued,  "she  is  the 
daughter  of  an  earl,  and  possesses  a  large  fortune 
in  her  own  right;  a  fortune  to  which  her  father 
will  make  a  grand  addition  when  she  shall  marry 
to  please  him.  You  know,  Henry,  it's  time  for  you 
to  settle  down.  If  you  will  offer  your  hand  to  Lady 
Katharine,  and  agree  to  resign  from  the  army,  I 
will  make  you  on  your  wedding  day  a  present  of 
Clermonte  Hall,  with  all  its  surroundings.  What ! 
do  you  shake  your  head  ?" 


A  Dilemma.  5 

"Dearest  father,"  said  I,  not  without  emotion, 
for  it  pained  me  to  disappoint  him,  "I  have  never 
fancied  Lady  Katharine,  and  never  can;  and — 
well,  I  doubt  if  she  cares  for  me  very  much. 
No,  were  she  the  last  woman  on  earth,  I  couldn't 
love  her;  and — surely,  you  wouldn't  ask  me  to 
marry  a  woman  I  could  not  love,  would  you?" 

He  looked  at  me  with  lowered  brow,  and  eyes 
in  which  an  angry  light  began  to  glitter.  Never 
have  I  forgotten  him  as  he  stood  there  before  me. 
Clad  in  a  spotless  garb,  of  finest  texture  and  qual 
ity,  and  of  a  cut  becoming  his  threescore  years 
and  station,  the  only  article  of  jewelry  conspicu 
ous  on  his  person,  barring  in  his  shirt-front  the 
large  diamond  he  always  wore,  was  a  beautifully 
embellished  badge,  upon  his  left  breast,  of  the 
Knight  Grand  Cross  of  the  Bath;  which  valuable 
jewel  he  was  fingering  nervously,  a  custom  of  his 
when  deeply  thinking  or  angry. 

Then— 

"Whom  could  you  love  ?"  he  sneered. 

"Keally,  father,  Lam  at  a  loss  to  tell.  Perhaps 
Amy,  Major  Brown's  daughter,  comes  as  near  to 
awakening  the  divine  fire  within  me  as  any  one  I 
know.  Still,  even  with  her  there  seems  to  be  some 
thing  lacking — something  failing  to  develop  the 
foundation  required  for  making  a  true  and  devoted 
husband,  according  to  Shakespeare  and  other  great 
poets." 

"Shakespeare,  divine  fire  and  all  your  other 
bosh  be  hanged !  What !  Do  you  think  I'd  tolerate 
your  marrying  the  child  of  low-born  parents — of 
Darents  without  rank,  or  station,  or  wealth?" 


6  Zanee  Kooran. 

"To  whom,  sir,  do  you  refer?"  I  asked  with 
dignity. 

"Why,  to  Officer  Brown." 

"Sir,  Major  Brown  is  a  man  of  rank — of  high 
rank.  He  was  an  officer  of  the  line  in  the  Crimea, 
where  at  the  Alma  he  covered  himself  with  glory, 
and  won  the  personal  praise  of  the  Quee*." 

"Pooh !  that's  nothing,"  he  said  scornfully. 
"Haven't  I  a  gamekeeper  down  in  Hampshire 
who  was  also  an  officer  in  the  war?" 

"You  have,"  I  answered. 

Peace  there  was  not  to  be,  however,  for  forth 
with  he  said: 

"Once  and  for  all  I  ask  you,  will  you  withdraw 
from  the  army  and  marry  Lord  Listerton's  daugh 
ter?" 

"No,  sir,  I  will  not,"  I  replied,  firmly. 

"Don't  you  ever  intend  to  marry?"  he  inquired 
at  length,  his  face  threatening  as  a  thunder-cloud. 

"Well,  that  depends ;  possibly,  but  it  will  have  to 
be  some  one  whom  I  love,  and  who  cares  some 
thing,  I  think,  for  me." 

"Dolt !  Idiot !  Can't  you  harp  on  anything  but 
love?" 

"But  think,  father/'  I  ventured  to  expostulate; 
"think  of  what  mother  was  when  you  first  saw 
and  loved  her;  think " 

"Boy,  have  you  lost  your  reason?"  he  broke 
in,  white  with  passion.  "Well,  then,  know  that  I 
haven't  called  you  in  here  this  morning  to  talk 
of  your  mother.  It  is  for  your  own  welfare  I  am 
now  concerned.  Again  I  ask  you,  will  you  marry 
Lady  Katharine  and  leave  the  army  ?" 

"No,  sir;  I  won't!" 


A  Dilemma.  7 

"What's  that?" 

"I  say  I  won't." 

For  a  minute  he  stood  still  and  looked  at  me  as 
if  he  would  go  through  me ;  so  much  so,  he  made 
me  tremble,  while,  at  the  same  time,  my  heart 
throbbed  painfully,  for  I  loved  my  father,  and 
would  willingly  have  done  anything  reasonable 
to  please  him.  But  to  marry  Lord  Listerton's 
daughter — Heavens !  he  could  not  have  realized 
what  he  was  asking  of  me. 

"Well,"  he  said  finally,  and  he  spoke  slowly  and 
sternly,  half  to  himself  and  half  to  me,  "we  may 
as  well  come  to  an  understanding  now  as  later. 
Mild  measures  fail  to  have  any  influence  over  you ; 
therefore,  heroic  ones  must  be  resorted  to.  I  now 
command1  you,  Henry,  to  withdraw  from  the 
army  and  marry  Lord  Listerton's  daughter." 

"Command  me?" 

"Yes,  command  you." 

"And  what  if  I  still  refuse?" 

"Then — then  I  will  renounce  you — disinherit 
you — cut  you  off  to"&  sovereign;  I  will,  so  help  me 
God !" 

"Why,  father,  you  must  be  the  one  whose  reason 
has  departed,"  I  gasped.  "What!  Would  you 
want  all  your  wealth  to  pass  out  of  the  family 
name,  and  leave  me — me,  your  only  son,  your  sole 
heir,  by  right — as  poor  as  a  church  mouse?" 

"No,  I  would  not,"  he  said  bitterly;  "but  I'd 
rather  that  that — that,  understand — should  hap 
pen,  than  to  have  our  name  disgraced,  as  I  fear — 
as  I  am  confident  now  you  will  sooner  or  later  do 
by  uniting  yourself  to  some  low-bom  beggar." 


8  Zanee  Kooran. 

"But  might  I  not  do  that  just  the  same  if  dis 
inherited?"  I  asked. 

"No,  not  in  the  name  of  Clermonte,"  he  replied. 

"Why,  how  is  that?  What  do  you  mean?"  I 
demanded,  mystified  and  not  a  little  alarmed 
new  by  the  unmistakable  confidence  in  his  tone. 

"I  mean,  Henry,  just  what  I  say." 

"And  that  is " 

"If  you  persist  in  throwing  over  Lady  Katha 
rine,  I  will  not  only  disinherit  you,  but  drive  you 
from  under  my  roof;  further,  forbid  you  ever  the 
use  of  my  name  again.  (Of  course,  you  may  have 
the  presumption  to  use  it;  but  if  you  do,  remem 
ber  this:  it  will  be  against  my  wishes,  and — with 
my  spiritual  curse.)  The  name  of  Clermonte,  I 
tell  you,  shall  maintain  its  dignity  or  disappear. 
No,  not  if  I  can  help  it  shall  any  of  my  ancestors 
be  given  cause  to  turn  over  in  their  graves  and 
censure  me  for  not  having  done  my  duty  to  them 
in  this  respect.  On  that  I  am  resolved." 

I  saw  he  was.  Indeed,  had  I  had  a  doubt  other 
wise,  the  steel-like  ring  in  his  voice,  the  sight  of 
his  lips  compressed  like  a  vise,  his  whole  mien 
frigid  and  appalling  as  a  glacier,  would  have  in 
stantly  dispelled  it.  I  therefore  knew  that  his 
decision  in  respect  to  my  marrying  the  Lady  Kath 
arine  was  no  hasty  one  with  him,  but  arrived  at 
after  much  thought  and  deliberation.  It  was  an 
ultimatum,  so  to  speak,  and  on  that  account  it 
angered  me.  Hence,  what  I  said  to  him  I  don't 
remember,  nor  do  I  want  to.  The  most  I  can  say 
is,  I  have  a  dim  recollection  of  his  leading  me  from 
the  library,  and  so  to  the  front  door,  bidding  me 
leave  his  presence,  and  not  to  seek  it  again  until 


A  Dilemma.  9 

I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  leave  the  army  and 
marry  Lord  Listerton's  daughter.  , 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  scarcely  realized  what 
had  happened  until  I  was  out  of  the  house  and  in 
the  street. 

Then  it  occurred  to  me  that  my  situation  was 
serious.  Father  was  a  man  of  his  word.  Pride,  it 
was  true,  had  led  him  astray;  but  not  for  that 
would  he  relent. 

I  went  that  afternoon  to  the  banker  who  held 
in  charge  the  greater  proportion  of  the  stocks  and 
other  property  belonging  to  our  family,  and  who 
had  held  my  own  inheritance  from  mother  ever 
since  I  had  come  into  possession  of  it.  The  bank 
er,  a  kind  and  accommodating  old  man,  received 
me  with  marked  deference. 

"Mr.  Whently,"  said  I,  "I'm  about  starting  out 
in  life  on  my  own  account,  and  must  have  my 
funds  in  such  shape  as  will  enable  me  to  draw  upon 
them  at  will." 

"Why,  bless  me,  my  dear  Henry,  you  can  do  that 
now.  What  more  can  you  have?  I  trust  you 
won't  take  your  business  from  me.  I'm  doing 
well  with  your  money;  I  hope  to  do  still  better. 
Anyhow,  I  promise  you  I  will  do  the  very  best  I 
can." 

"I  don't  doubt  it/'  I  said,  with  a  reassuring 
smile.  "But  what  I  want  to  know  now  is,  How 
do  I  stand?  I  can't  for  the  life  of  me  call  to 
mind  when  I  have  drawn  upon  you." 

"Upon  your  main  fund,  my  dear  Henry,  you 
have  never  drawn;  and  I  have,  besides,  quite  a 
handsome  balance  on  hand  in  your  favor  from  the 


1O  Zanee  Kooran. 

deposit  of  your  quarterly  allowance — that  which 
your  father  has  deposited  for  you,  you  know  ?" 

"But  I  don't  know,"  I  cried.  "What !  Do  you 
mean  to  tell  me  that  all  the  checks  I  have  pre 
sented  to  you,  and  which  you  have  cashed,  have 
been  paid  without  touching  my  mother's  money?" 

"Certainly,  sir ;  that's  it  exactly.  You  see,  ever 
since  you  enlisted — six  years  ago——" 

"No,  seven,"  said  I,  smiling. 

"Why,  bless  me !  so  it  is.  Your  father  ordered 
me,  on  the  first  of  every  quarter,  commencing  with 
the  first  day  of  October,  to  place  to  your  credit 
a  certain  sum,  this  simplifying  matters  for  him, 
and  saving  him  all  further  bother.  Well,  from  that 
time  the  amount  specified  by  him  has  been  placed 
to  your  credit  regularly,  and  so  little  have  you 
drawn  upon  it,  I  have  about  fourteen  hundred 
pounds." 

My  heart  gave  a  great  leap.  I  did  remember, 
now  Mr.  Whently  had  spoken,  that  father  had  told 
me  he  was  going  to  place  a  regular  quarterly  al 
lowance  in  the  hands  of  his  banker  for  my  use, 
and  that  I  must  make  the  sum  suffice.  "If  you  go 
beyond  that,  Henry,"  he  had  said,  "you  will  have 
to  draw  upon  your  own  fund  which  you  hold  from 
your  mother." 

A  messenger  boy  entered  with  letters  in  his 
hand. 

Mr.  Whently  took  these  and  was  upon  the  point 
of  laying  them  down,  unopened,  when  the  super 
scription  of  the  topmost  missive  caught  his  eye. 

"Why,  bless  me!  Here's  a  letter  from  your 
father,  Henry.  What  has  he  to  say,  I  wonder?" 

I  made  him  no  reply,  but,  with  a  sinking  heart,  I 


A  Dilemma.  1 1 

made  myself  a  guess.  His  countenance  did  change 
as  he  read  the  letter.  He  read  it  to  the  very  end ; 
then,  after  a  moment's  reflection,  he  arose,  and, 
going  to  the  door,  which  communicated  with  the 
outer  office,  turned  the  key. 

Coming  back  to  where  I  sat,  he  scratched  his 
bald  head  with  one  hand  and  with  the  other  gave 
me  the  letter,  saying,  as  he  did  so : 

"It  is  from  your  father,  Henry,  and  I  think 
you  should  see  it.  The  fact  is,  I  can't  quite  make 
it  out/' 

The  letter  ran  as  follows: 

"BELGRAVE  SQUARE,,  September  — ,  1855. 
"MR.  JOHN  WHENTLY: 

"Dear  Sir — You  hold  in  possession  authority 
from  me  for  the  payment  of  a  certain  sum,  quar 
terly,  to  the  credit  of  my  son,  Henry.  That  au 
thority  I  hereby  peremptorily  suspend;  pay  no 
more  money  to  that  credit,  until  I  give  you  notice 
to. 

"Comply  with  the  above,  and  you  will  greatly 
oblige,  Yours  respectfully, 

"EDGERTON  CLERMONTE,  K.  G.  C.  B." 

I  handed  the  letter  back,  and  looked  the  old 
banker  squarely  and  frankly  in  the  face. 

"Well,  Henry,  can  you  explain  it?"  he  asked. 

"I  can,  Mr.  Whently,"  I  said,  after  a  moment's 
reflection,  "and  what  is  more,  I  will.  But  before 
I  begin  I  want  to  warn  you  that  yju  may  "not 
care  to  remain  my  banker,  although  I  have  no 
wish  to  make  a  change." 

"Why,  my  dear  Henry,  what  does  it  all  mean? 


12  Zanee  Kooran. 

Ah — surely,  you  haven't  had  a  falling  out  with 
your  father?" 

"I  regret  to  say  I  have,"  I  responded. 

"Too  bad — too  bad!"  he  exclaimed,  wringing 
his  hands.  "I  thought  you  and  he  were  on  the 
best  of  terms.  You  always  have  been,  haven't 
you  ?" 

"Yes;  but  to-day  he  turned  me  out-of-doors — 
forbade  me  ever  the  shelter  of  his  roof  again,  un 
less  I  comply  with  certain  conditions  of  his." 

"Turned  you  out-of-doors?" 

"He  did,  Mr.  Whently;  he  also  threatened  to 
disinherit  me,  even  disown  me." 

"What !  you,  his  only  child,  his  sole  heir. 
This  is  awful.  But  pardon  me,  my  dear  Henry; 
perhaps  I  should  not  thrust  myself  into  your  con 
fidence." 

"It's  all  in  the  explanation  I  owe  you,"  I  re 
plied.  "The  only  thing  I  have  to  ask  of  you  is, 
to  give  me  your  promise  not  to  divulge  to  any  one 
else — to  no  living  person — what  I  am  going  to  tell 
your 

"Certainly,"  he  replied;  "certainly,  my  dear 
Henry.  But,  for  that  matter,  you  need  have  had 
no  fears.  I  wouldn't  abuse  your  confidence  for 
anything." 

I  related  my  quarrel  with  father.  I  included  the 
whole  of  it,  expecting  thereby  to  impress  him  the 
better  in  my  behalf;  but  when  I  had  finished  he, 
on  the  contrary,  disappointed  me  by  shaking  his 
head  gravely  and  looking  very  serious.  Once  he 
understood  the  affair,  he  regarded  it  in  about  the 
same  light  as  father  had,  and  accordingly  advised 
me  to  make  peace  with  him  as  soon  as  possible. 


A  Dilemma.  1$ 

He  tried  to  reason  with  me,  and  oh,  his  arguments 
•were  so  good,  so  plausibly  expressed,  they  bur 
dened  my  mind  for  many  a  day,  and  nearly  caused 
me  to  relent. 

As  soon  as  I  could  get  the  chance  to  say  some 
thing,  I  asked  him  if  he  knew  what  the  sum  was 
which  he  held  subject  to  my  personal  order.  With 
a  troubled  expression  he  arose,  went  to  the  fire 
proof  vault  close  at  hand,  and  brought  out  a  heavy, 
calf-bound  ledger.  He  turned  to  a  certain  page, 
and,  after  a  brief  reckoning,  said: 

"Sixteen  years  ago,  coming  the  first  of  next  No 
vember,  your  mother's  gift  to  you  was  set  apart  in 
your  name,  in  trust,  and  to  be  yours  entirely  upon 
your  having  attained  the  age  of  twenty-one.  The 
sum,  of  course,  has  never  been  drawn  upon ;  and  as 
it  was  invested  in  the  three-and-one-fourth-per- 
cents,  I  now  find  to  your  credit  eleven  thousand, 
four  hundred  and  some  odd  pounds." 

Thus,  owing  to  the  quarterly  credits,  which  I 
had  not  counted  on,  in  that  I  had  forgotten  them, 
I  found  there  were  nearly  thirteen  thousand 
pounds  in  the  bank,  subject  to  my  order  at  any 
minute. 

This  I  decided  to  leave  where  it  was — at  least 
for  the  present,  Mr.  Whently  saying  that  if  I  did 
not  break  in  upon  the  old  investments,  he  could 
soon  assure  me  an  income  therefrom  of  over  four 
hundred  pounds  a  year. 

Ah,  not  a  bad  showing,  after  all;  at  any  rate, 
it  would  be  adequate  for  me  to  get  along  with 
fairly  well,  provided  I  kept  my  expenditures  down 
as  I  had  of  late. 

I  was  strolling,  aimlessly,  through  Pall  Mall 


14  Zanee  Kooran 

that  afternoon,  nervous,  bewildered,  and  half- 
distracted,  when  a  cool,  steady  hand  suddenly 
grasped  mine,  another  soothingly  seized  me  by 
the  shoulder,  and  a  cheery,  well-known  voice 
called  out : 

"Hi,  Henry !  You  renegade :  what's  in  the  wind 
for  you  to  avoid  me  like  this?" 

Turning  round,  I  found  myself  face  to  face  with 
the  familiar  form  and  beaming  countenance  of  my 
dear  friend  and  superior  officer,  Colonel  Howard 
Eicherson ! 


Off  for  the  East.  15 


CHAPTEE  II. 

OFF   FOR   THE   EAST. 

"WHY!  what  is  the  matter?"  asked  my  friend, 
anxiously.  "You  look  glum  and  downcast — crest 
fallen  as  a  frost-bitten  plant  in  springtime.  You 
left  the  quarters  cheerful  enough  yesterday  morn 
ing,  didn't  you  ?" 

From  Colonel  Howard  Richerson  I  had  no  se 
crets.  Long  had  I  been  under  his  command,  and 
a  more  genial,  jovial,  upright  officer,  or  a  truer- 
hearted  and  braver,  I  never  knew.  Though  a  strict 
disciplinarian,  his  whole  regiment  loved  him,  and 
I  in  particular.  The  fact  was,  he  seemed  to  me  like 
a  brother,  for  when  not  on  duty,  much  were  we 
together,  always  comparing  notes,  generally  to  my 
profit,  on  every  subject  pertaining  to  our  affairs, 
personal  as  well  as  military.  Hence,  the  delight 
with  which  I  now  returned  his  salutation — the 
unspeakable  relief  it  afforded  me,  as  I  said: 

"The  governor's  gone  back  on  me,"  meaning  by 
that  father. 

"Great  powers !   Is  that  all  ?" 

"Well,  isn't  it  enough  ?"  I  asked. 

"Oh,  but  by  your  appearance,  your  expression, 
Henry,  I  feared  you'd  got  into  some  awful  mess — 


1 6  Zanee  Kooran. 

fallen  in  love,  perhaps.  Ha,  ha,  ha! — I  did, 
though.'' 

"No,  it  isn't  anything  in  that  line — not  ex 
actly,"  I  answered,  smiling  in  spite  of  myself; 
"and  yet " 

"Something  pretty  close  to  it,  then  ?" 

"Ye-es,  in  a  way.  The  governor  wants  me  to 
marry,  and — well,  I'm  opposed  to  it.  There! 
what'd  you  think?" 

"Think  ?  Why,  that  he's  chosen  a  very  inoppor 
tune  season  for  such  a  thing.  Your  services  are  at 
present  demanded  by  the  Government ;  will  be  for 
some  time  to  come,  it  appears ' 

"Oh,  but  he  says  that  I  must  abandon  military 
life ;  give  it  up  entirely." 

"Great  powers !  He  does  ?" 

"Yes ;  and  that  isn't  all.  The  welfare,  the  very 
happiness  of  my  future  depends  perhaps  on  the 
move  I  now  make.  Eeally,  colonel,  it  is  serious; 
never  did  I  need  some  one  more  to  advise  me,  or  on 
whom  I  could  lean  for  support." 

"Ha !  Then  I've  run  across  you  just  in  time, 
my  dear  Henry.  Wants  you  to  marry  and  resign 
from  the  army,  eh  ?  Well,  that's  conducting  mat 
ters  with  a  high  hand,  I  must  say;  it's  deucedly 
cool,  in  fact.  But  come  into  the  club,  and  tell  me 
all  about  it.  I've  something  to  communicate,  also 
— something  of  vital  importance  to  both  of  us, 
and  which,  I  think,  will  conflict  not  a  little  with 
your  father's  plans,"  he  concluded,  with  a  chuckle. 

Ensconced  anon  in  a  secluded  nook,  with  wine 
and  cigars  between  us,  I  began  at  the  beginning 
and  related  to  him  the  events  of  the  day. 

"Poor  Lady  Katharine !    Think  you  she's  devoid 


Off  for  the  East.  17 

of  feeling,  heartless?"  he  asked  in  a  woe-begone 
tone,  but  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  nevertheless, 
when  I  had  finished. 

"No,  I  know  she  isn't ;  I  discovered  that  when  a 
boy,"  I  replied.  And  thereupon  I  related  my 
"adventure"  with  her  in  her  father's  garden. 
"Ugh !"  I  exclaimed  in  conclusion,  "I'd  rather  be 
yoked  to  a  she-devil,  and  have  it  done  with,  as 
marry  her." 

"Well,  well,  little  danger  of  your  having  to," 
said  he,  laughing;  "indeed,  the  regiment  wouldn't 
tolerate  it,  and  there  isn't  any  likelihood  that  I 
shall.  No,  Henry,  if  your  father  is  biased,  and 
bent  on  your  conforming  to  his  plans,  he  can't 
run  the  army — at  least  not  all  of  it;  and  Banker 
Whently's  siding  against  you  won't  help  him  any. 
Great  powers !  To  be  dictated  to  as  you  have  been, 
is  not  only  outrageous,  but  an  insult  to  me — me, 
myself,  I  say.  Therefore,  holding  the  trump  card, 
as  I  do,  which  must  ultimately  fetch  your  father 
down  a  peg — overcome  his  perversity  entirely  per 
haps — I  am  going  to  play  it  with  less  compunction, 
remember,  than  I  otherwise  should." 

"Trump  card?  Why,  what  are  you  driving  at, 
colonel  ?  You  don't  claim  to  have  in  possession  the 
power  to  frustrate  father,  do  you?"  I  inquired, 
looking  at  him  incredulously,  but  none  the  less 
eagerly. 

"I  am  sure  of  it,  Henry.  Let  me  explain  mat 
ters,  and  see  if  you  won't  think  so,  too."  Pour 
ing  himself  out  a  few  spoonfuls  of  Rudisheimer, 
which  rare  old  wine  having  quaffed,  he  leaned 
back  in  his  chair,  crossed  his  feet  and  said : 

"You  know  there  has  been  a  good  deal  of  talk 


1 8  Zanee  Kooran. 

lately  that  Lord  Dalhousie  is  coming  home  from 
India  ?  Well,  it's  a  settled  thing  now — that  is,  as 
soon  as  Viscount  Canning  can  get  there  to  relieve 
him.  I  received  the  intelligence  last  night,  and 
with  it,  Henry,  an  appointment  in  the  East  Indian 
service." 

"You  did?"  I  exclaimed,  jumping  to  my  feet. 
"What!  You  going  to  India— to  the  East?" 

"I  am,"  he  replied,  looking  at  me  with  an 
amused  smile.  "Yes,  Henry,  I've  been  ordered  out 
with  Lord  Canning,  on  detached  duty;  though,  of 
course,  I  shall  at  some  time  come  under  a  com 
mander.  But  the  best  of  it  is,  they  have  given  you 
to  me  for  my  chief  aid.  That,  I  can  tell  you, 
pleases  me."  He  helped  himself  to  another  cigar. 

"Me?"  I  cried,  more  and  more  amazed;  "me?" 

"Yes,  Henry ;  you''  he  said,  laughing. 

"Oh,  but  I  say,  colonel,  isn't  this  rather  sud 
den?"  I  asked,  dropping  back,  or  more  correctly, 
collapsing  into  my  seat.  "How  do  they  know  I 
will  go?  Has  the  whole  regiment  been  ordered 
out?" 

"No,  Henry;  it's  only  a  few — a  select  party, 
as  you  may  say — that's  been  appointed  to  accom 
pany  Canning.  The  commission  offered  you  is  a 
captain's,  and  that,  you  know,  in  the  regular  serv 
ice,  is  no  small  thing." 

"But — how — to  whom  is  the  promotion  due?" 
I  asked,  quite  bewildered. 

"Why,  to  your  creditable  conduct.  Good  men — 
men  upright  and  true — are  needed  in  India  just 
now.  According  to  latest  advices,  trouble  is  ex 
pected  with  the  natives.  Oh,  nothing  very  serious, 
they  say,  is  anticipated.  But  there  is  no  telling 


Off  for  the  East.  19 

what  may  happen,  for  it  is  certain  that  Daffiousie 
has  been  strict;  also,  eager  to  gain  territory  and 
spread  our  arms.  Whether  that  was  wise  or  not, 
remains  to  be  seen.  Difficulties,  therefore,  are 
predicted.  It  is  especially  hinted  that  there  will 
be  trouble  in  Oude,  which  extensive  country  Dal- 
housie  has  just  annexed.  Its  inhabitants  are  of 
an  independent,  warlike  disposition,  and  there  are 
more  than  fifteen  millions  of  them.  Think  of  it ! 
Fifteen  millions. 

"Well,  as  I  said  before,  brave,  active  men — men 
keen  and  intelligent,  and  with  a  liberal  education" 
—  (the  last  by  way  of  compliment  to  my  being  a 
graduate  of  London  University) — "are  wanted  to 
look  after  them;  and  as  I  must  take  a  staff  with 
me,  it  was  decided  to  offer  you  this  commission." 

As  he  spoke  he  drew  a  packet  from  an  inner 
pocket  and  laid  it  on  the  table  before  me.  I  ex 
amined  it.  A  broad,  official  looking  affair  it  was, 
smelling  iStrongly*-of  sealing  wax,  and  bound  in  red 
tape. 

Tearing  off  the  wrapper,  I  found  it  contained  two 
documents  for  me,  the  larger  of  which,  on  fine 
vellum,  and  bearing  the  imposing  seal  of  the  War 
Office,  was  a  commission  of  captain  of  artillery 
in  Her  Majesty's  army ;  the  other,  a  special  order, 
assigning  me  to  duty  with  the  forces  in  India,  and 
directing  me  to  report  forthwith  to  Colonel  How 
ard  Eicherson.  There  was  also  a  brief,  compli 
mentary  note,  expressive  of  hopes  that  this  promo 
tion  would  prove  .satisfactory  to  me;  ah,  as  if  such 
a  thing  could  be  anything  else  to  a  mere  subaltern. 

None  the  less  was  my  joy  tinctured  with  bitter 
ness.  While  it  was  true  that  a  glorious  avenue 


2O  Zanee  Kooran. 

had  been  opened  up  to  me  by  which  I  could  escape 
from  father,  thwarting  him  completely,  it  was  one 
I  hardly  desired,  in  that  it  would  lead  me  so  hope 
lessly  away  from  a  settlement,  an  understanding 
with  him. 

"My  dear  colonel,"  said  I,  laying  the  documents 
down  and  proceeding  now  to  light  my  second 
cigar,  "this  commission  would  be  welcomed  by  me 
beyond  expression,  were  it  not  for  the  governor. 
How  am  I  going  to  leave  England  at  variance  with 
him?" 

"That,  Henry,  is  just  what  you  should  do.  That 
is  where  you  can  assert  yourself,  and,  what  is  more, 
show  him  that  you  do  not  fear  him.  Pardon  my 
saying  it,  but  you've  already  cuddled  to  your 
father  so  long,  he  thinks — yes,  actually  believes — 
you  are  lacking  in  experience,  if  not  competence,  to 
take  care  of  yourself.  Consequently,  he  must  look 
after  you  and  plan  for  you  as  if  you  were  still  a 
lad.  It'll  be  a  bitter  blow  to  him — your  going  to 
India ;  but  remember  what  I  tell  you,  it  will  teach 
him  a  lesson :  it  will  open  his  eyes  to  the  fact  that 
you  are  worthy  of  being  his  son,  after  all,  and  he 
will  therefore  come  to  respect  and  admire  you. 

"No,  Henry,  from  my  point  of  view  nothing 
more  fortunate  could  possibly  have  befallen  you; 
and  if  you  will  only  avail  yourself  of  it,  I'll  go  a 
step  further  by  saying  your  father  will  yet  be  glad 
to  make  up  with  you  on  any  terms ;  for  if  he  didn't 
care  for  you — in  truth,  love  you  very  dearly— 
would  he  have  bothered  to  treat  you  as  he  has  ?" 

"Indeed,  I  hadn't  thought  of  that,"  I  exclaimed, 
eyeing  my  friend  with  admiration.  Therewith  a 
great  desire — a  longing  not  to  be  put  down — did 


Off  for  the  East.  21 

possess  me  to  go  to  India  with  him — aye,  to  that 
land  of  magic,  mystery,  elephants,  tigers,  serpents, 
idolatry,  marvelous  temples  and  fabulous  gems. 


The  day  of  departure  had  come — a  clear,  bright 
day  of  October,  1855. 

All  arrangements  had  been  made  and  completed, 
and  we  were  about  setting  sail  for  the  East  in  a 
gr<md  and  noble  ship — one  of  the  finest  and  best 
appointed  of  the  company's — which  now  lay  on  the 
calm  bosom  of  the  Medway  at  dear  Old  Chatham. 
Grand  she  did  look,  her  canvas  hanging  loose 
from  the  yards,  and  her  anchor  apeak,  requiring 
only  a  few  turns  of  the  capstan  to  trip  it.  Noble 
she  certainly  was,  laden  with  her  valuable  cargo  of 
military  stores,  and  special  gathering  of  humanity. 

I  suppose  I  should  have  been  happy ;  but  I  was 
not.  Though  I  wanted  to  go  to  India,  it  was  with 
desperate  reluctance  that  I  was  tearing  myself 
away  from  home  and  kith  and  kin.  The  bustle 
and  military  fervor  around  me  failed  for  once  to 
awaken  my  enthusiasm. 

Previous  to  coming  aboard  I  sealed  and  mailed 
a  letter  to  father.  I  made  it  as  humble,  mollifying 
and  penitent  as  the  adequacy  of  my  poor  style  per 
mitted.  I  explained  in  it  every  reason  for  the 
course  I  was  adopting.  It  was  with  an  effort, 
therefore,  that  I  maintained  my  composure  ere  the 
colonel  took  me  by  the  arm,  led  me  forward  and 
gave  me  a  formal  introduction  to  the  strangers 
present,  so  that  I  was  drawn  not  only  into  conver 
sation  with  them,  but  also  into  the  atmosphere  of 
his  animated,  elevating  thoughts. 


22  Zanee  Kooran. 

But,  then,  that  was  just  like  the  colonel.  No 
one  not  intimately  acquainted  with  him  could  un 
derstand  what  a  fine  fellow  he  was.  Born  to  com 
mand,  his  very  presence  imparted  to  you  a  sense  of 
security  and  peace;  and — well,  no  father  could 
have  watched  over  his  child  better  than  he  did  over 
me.  I  was  never  neglected  when  under  his  charge. 
Better  yet,  he  always  seemed  to  have  the  power  to 
read  my  mind,  and  the  way  he  now  strove  to  inter 
est  and  cheer  me  up  would  certainly  have  won  my 
gratitude,  only  long  before  this  he  had  pumped 
the  well  dry. 

A  man  somewhat  past  forty,  he  bore  his  years 
bravely.  His  wife,  too — Lillian  (Lill,  he  always 
called  her) — was  a  tall,  queenly,  handsome 
woman,  of  about  his  own  age,  who,  when  she 
looked  you  in  the  face,  with  her  hearty,  generous 
smile,  impressed  you  as  being  wholly  good  and 
true;  and  so  she  was — that  is,  as  much  as  any 
mortal  can  very  well  be. 

Meanwhile,  a  steam  tugboat  had  come 
alongside  for  the  purpose  of  taking  the  ship  in 
tow,  and  further  hilarity  was  cut  short ;  those  be 
longing  ashore  became  very  attentive  to  their 
friends,  for  now  but  a  short  time  longer  could 
be  given  them  in  which  to  be  together. 

Much  was  the  nervousness  manifested,  there 
fore,  and  every  one's  face  grew  grave,  some 
drawn  as  if  with  pain,  even  to  the  colonel's,  while 
all  talked  fast  and  furious;  there  were  so  many 
things  to  say,  items  which  up  to  this  point  had 
slumbered  just  beneath  the  .surface. 

All  too  soon  was  the  ship's  anchor  brought  to 
the  bow;  and  while  this  was  being  done,  the  tug 


Off  for  the  East.  23 

made  fast  to  her  fore  and  main  chains.  Then,  surg 
ing  ahead,  the  little  boat  pulled  and  jerked  at 
the  huge  mass  till,  finally,  she  was  dragging  her 
slowly  but  surely  after  her  through  the  water 
toward  the  Thames. 

And  now,  as  if  awakened  to  life  by  the  ship\s 
motion,  people  poured  up  from  below,  crowding 
the  quarter-deck,  where  they  remained  in  close 
and  earnest  conversation  until  we  had  passed 
Sheerness,  and  could  look  off  upon  the  trackless 
waste  of  the  German  Ocean. 

Then  it  was  that  the  tug  must  leave  us,  and 
with  it  the  moment  that  strained  the  heart  and 
brought  tears  to  the  eyes,  strive  as  we  would  to 
restrain  our  deep  ^motions.  To  sum  up  briefly, 
it  was  but  a  God's  blessing,  a  fervent  prayer  for 
good,  a  fond,  loving,  hopeful  farewell,  and  lo ! 
we  were  parted. 

Before  we  coiald  believe  it,  the  tug  had  cast 
off  and  was  on  its  way  back  toward  the  place 
whence  it  had  come,  our  friends  on  it  waving  to 
us  their  last  adieus.  For  the  sails  of  the  ship 
having  been  set,  we,  too,  were  moving — moving 
majestically  toward  the  Atlantic.  Aye  !  Toward  the 
land  of  the  Ganges,  where,  could  some  of  us  have 
looked  ahead  and  caught  but  a  glimpse  of  the 
hardships  and  horrors  which  were  to  beset  our 
paths,  we  would  sooner  have  gone  down  to  a 
watery  grave  at  once  than  further  have  pro 
ceeded. 


24  Zanee  Kooran. 


CHAPTER  III. 

BENARES,    THE    HOLY. 

0  BENARES!  City  of  the  pinnacles  of  a  thou 
sand  pagodas.  0  threefold  holy  Kasi !  0  ancient 
Varanasi !  How  can  words  depict  thy  glory  and 
splendor,  thy  marvelous  temples,  thy  magnifi 
cent  palaces,  thy  sparkling  mosques,  which  dazzle 
the  eye?  It  was  dawn,  bright  and  sunny  dawn 
when  first  I  saw  thee,  resting  in  thy  amphithea 
tre  by  the  side  of  Mother  Ganges,  the  daughter 
of  Vishnu.  There  where  thou  hast  rested  for 
more  than  five-and-twenty  centuries;  inviting  me 
with  thy  gnats,  thy  stairs,  three  hundred  feet 
and  over  in  width,  let  down  so  proudly  to  the 
sacred  stream,  whose  glistening  waters  were  agi 
tated  by  the  wild  gestures  of  countless  bathers. 
Ah!— 

"And  a  cool,  sweet  splashing  was  ever  heard, 
As  the  molten  glass  of  the  wave  was  stirred, 
And  a  murmur,  thrilling  the  scented  air, 
Told  where  the  Brahman  bowed  in  prayer/' 

0,  grand  and  glorious  city!  Say  what  others 
may  of  thee,  always  hast  thou  had  a  charm  for 


Benares,  the  Holy.  25 

me.  Narrow  and  crooked  as  thy  streets  are,  and 
deplorable  though  it  is  to  see  the  heathen  in  his 
blindness  bow  down  to  wood  and  stone,  thy  very 
name  awakens  my  sweetest,  rarest  memories,  and 
stirs  anew  the  love  in  my  heart,  the  fire  in  my 
soul,  for  her  who  is  a  part  of  'Heaven  itself, 
and  to  the  pure  heights  of  which  she  will  some 
day  soar,  there  to  dwell  forever! 

But — more  of  her  anon. 

Suffice  it  to  say  now  that  Colonel  Howard 
Richerson  and  I  were  installed  in  this  sacred  city 
of  the  Hindus,  Benares,  or  more  properly,  in  the 
English  portion  of  it,  Secrole,  which  lies  about 
three  miles  further  up  the  Ganges ; — a  city  within 
itself,  none  the  less;  typical,  too,  of  all  our  other 
European  cities  of  the  Indies,  with  avenues  broad 
and  extended,  its  luxurious  bungalows  surrounded 
by  beautiful  groves  and  gardens.  What  made  it 
of  special  importance,  however,  it  contained  most 
of  our  civil  establishments,  and  above  all,  the 
military  cantonments. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  had  been  considerably 
over  a  year  since  that  memorable  embarkation  on 
the  Medway,  at  Chatham;  which  period,  as  I 
looked  back  upon  it,  seemed  like  a  dismal  dream 
more  than  anything  real. 

Not  as  our  ocean  voyage  had  been  anywise  un 
pleasant  or  eventful  out  of  the  ordinary.  It  had, 
in  truth,  been  void  of  incident  until  we  arrived 
at  Cape  Town,  further  than  that  an  enduring 
friendship  had  .sprung  up  between  the  colonel 
and  Lord  Canning,  whom  I  had  often  seen  come 
to  counsel  and  advise  with  my  friend  on  ques 
tions  of  state  and  policy,  and  in  the  end  never 


56  Zanee  Kooran. 

seek  to  conceal  the  fact  that  he  had  felt  to  thank 
him  for  favors  rendered — favors  in  the  way  of  un 
ravelling  knotty  military  problems  and  throwing 
light  on  various  dark  subjects;  no,  nor  the  en 
joyment  he  had  derived  therefrom. 

While  we  were  lying  at  anchor  under  Table 
Rock,  however,  a  ship  had  put  in  at  the  Cape,  a 
ship  direct  from  Calcutta,  and  from  an  experi 
enced  officer  who  was  on  his  way  home  in  her 
we  had  received  our  first  reliable  note  of  alarm 
concerning  the  prognosticated  trouble  in  India. 
He  had  waited  upon  the  viscount  in  person,  and 
among  others,  Colonel  Richerson  and  I  were  both 
permitted  to  be  present. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  repeat  what  he  said ;  I  will 
merely  state  that  he  informed  us  it  was  his  opin 
ion  a  storm  was  brewing  in  the  upper  land  of 
the  Ganges  which  our  leading  officials  did  not,  or 
else  would  not  see.  In  point  of  fact  an  insurrec 
tion  there  was  inevitable.  Could  it  be  otherwise 
when  during  the  last  five  years  of  Dalhousie's  ad 
ministration  full  fifteen  millions  of  people  had 
been  robbed  of  their  country,  their  broad  and 
fruitful  territory  torn  from  them,  and  the  yoke 
of  a  foreign  potentate  cast  upon  their  necks? 
Indeed,  hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  of  petty 
princes — many  of  them  kings  in  their  own  right 
— had  been,  by  the  simple  stroke  of  an  English 
pen,  hurled  from  their  thrones,  their  authority 
wrested  from  them,  and  their  subjects  called  upon 
to  bow  to  other  rulers  and  other  powers. 

True,  open  rebellion  had  not  yet  occurred;  but 
BO  widely  had  the  seeds  of  discontent  been  sown, 
and  left  to  germinate  through  the  lack  of  proper 


Benares,  the  Holy.  2j 

diplomacy,  a  feeling  for  retaliation  and  revenge 
was  being  fostered,  which  could  not,  now,  be 
helped,  and  it  was  only  a  question  of  time  when 
the  worst  would  come  to  pass.  That  was  what  this 
officer  from  Calcutta  thought.  A  rather  pessi 
mistic  view  of  the  situation,  did  we  say  ?  Well,  it 
might  be;  he  hoped  it  was,  of  course;  but  alas! 
if  he  believed  it;  no,  he  had  seen  too  much  to  do 
that. 

Nevertheless,  attending  our  arrival  at  Calcutta, 
not  a  single  report  indicative  of  seditious  fer 
ment  in  the  interior  was  to  be  heard.  On  the  con 
trary,  everything  had  appeared  peaceful  and 
bright,  progressive  and  flourishing. 

What  did  it  mean? 

We  were  at  a  loss  to  tell.  We  only  knew  that  un 
desirable  information,  even  concerning  affairs  of 
state,  was,  as  it  has  always  been,  best  obtained  from 
outside  sources.  Possibly  if  we  had  returned  to 
Cape  Town,  or  repaired  to  some  other  important 
seaport,  all  our  fears  incident  to  what  we  had  been 
told  would  have  been  increased  by  more  news — 
news  decidedly  alarming;  whereas,  being  now  so 
near  to  the  seat  of  the  impending  danger,  that  is, 
according  to  hearsay,  nothing  tending  to  confirm 
our  least  suspicions  was  to  be  discovered.  There 
fore,  the  evil  was  of  a  more  serious  nature  than 
we  supposed,  or  else  that  officer  met  b}r  us  at  the 
Cape  had  been  mistaken,  and  every  rumor  thus  far 
current  without  foundation.  Which  was  correct? 
We  were  inclined  to  think  the  latter. 

Yes,  like  many  others,  alas  !  we  did  so ;  the  new 
Governor-general  himself  not  excepted.  While  in 
Calcutta  I  had  posted  a  long  letter  to  father,  the 


28  Zance  Kooran. 

same  as  at  Cape  Town,  St.  Helena  and  Gibraltar, 
describing  what  had  befallen  me  up  to  date,  and 
reminding  him  in  conclusion,  as  in  each  of  my 
former  epistles,  that  I  thought  he  should  not  cen 
sure  me  too  much  for  the  course  I  was  pursuing. 
Then,  a  few  days  later,  I  had  set  out  with  Colonel 
Richerson  for  Benares,  he  having  been  assigned 
there  to  assume  temporary  command. 

Could  Lord  Canning  have  had  his  way,  however, 
I  would  have  remained  with  him.  Thanks  to  the 
colonel,  he  had  taken  an  interest  in  me  during  our 
ocean  voyage,  till  he  esteemed  me  highly ;  and  his 
desire — earnestly  expressed — had  been  for  me  to 
accept  a  place  upon  his  official  suite.  I  had  politely 
as  I  could  declined  the  offer,  telling  him  that  as  I 
had  originally  come  out  as  chief  aide  to  the  colonel, 
with  whom  I  had  so  long  been  friends,  it  would  pain 
each  of  us  greatly  to  be  separated  now.  Furthermore, 
if  there  was  going  to  be  trouble  with  the  natives, 
and  need  of  help  to  overcome  it,  I  ardently  wished 
to  be  at  the  front  with  him,  where  my  services 
would  count,  if  possible.  Various  officers  of  the 
suite  had  been  equally  earnest  with  their  chief  in 
endeavoring  to  win  me  over,  but  I  was  not  to  be 
persuaded  from  my  purpose.  Infinitely  to  my 
friend's  delight,  I  accompanied  him. 

Our  journey  up  country  had  been  made  partly  by 
land  and  partly  by  water,  and  not  only  the  colonel 
and  myself,  but  every  one  else  (there  were  a  dozen 
of  us  in  the  party,  exclusive  of  my  friend's  wife  and 
two  other  ladies),  had  thoroughly  enjoyed  it. 

Everything  being  new  and  strange  to  us,  we  had 
taken  our  time.  There  was  so  much  to  be  seen, — 
the  fertile  plains,  resplendent  with  fields  of  maize, 


Bena.es,  the  Holy.  29 

wheat,  sugar-cane,  indigo,  flax,  cotton  and  the  like, 
alternated  by  others  often  perfectly  sterile  and  bar 
ren  ;  the  lowlands  overspread  with  vast  mats  of  rice, 
and  above  all  the  jungles — those  thick  growths  of 
underwood,  tall  grasses  and  climbing  plants, 
abounding  with  tigers,  elephants,  boars,  poisonous 
serpents  and  multitudes  of  monkeys,  not  to  men 
tion  other  animals  and  birds  of  various  species. 
The  ceaseless  array  of  villages,  also,  scattered  about, 
between  the  gre&t  cities,  generally  close  to  groves 
of  sturdy  trees,  their  temples  always  conspicuous 
above  the  thatched  huts  of  mud;  the  swarthy  in 
habitants  come  upon,  usually  in  the  scantiest  of 
attire,  especially  when  working  afield,  the  women 
there  often  wrapped  up  in  dark-blue  calico  cloth 
only,  and  plying  the  hoe  perchance  as  hard  as 
the  men;  the  queer  modes  of  irrigation  and  re 
markable  crafts  seen  on  the  rivers;  the  fakirs, 
jugglers,  sapwallas  (snake-charmers),  beggars, 
cripples,  liars,  thieves,  thugs,  and  cut-throats  of 
all  description,  ready  to  fleece  one  and  take  his 
life  at  every  turn ;  the  vine  and  moss-covered  ruins 
of  palaces,  temples,  and  tombs,  confronting  us 
here  and  there,  and  testifying  to  the  wealth  and 
advanced  civilization  of  former  ages;  and  lastly, 
but  not  least,  the  verdant  forests,  which,  when 
viewed  from  a  distance,  reminded  us  of  trees  at 
home,  though  never  did  that  vegetable  wonder, 
the  banyan,  with  its  many  stems. 

There  were  the  funeral  pyres,  too,  and  particu 
larly  the  "Towers  of  Silence,"  or  Parsee  burying- 
ground;  these  always  surrounded  by  flocks  of 
vultures — large,  majestic-looking  birds,  notwith 
standing  their  ungainliness  and  bare  necks,  and 


30  2anee  Rooraft. 

which  are  in  truth  the  only  official  undertakers 
of  that  strange,  yet  remarkably  intelligent  people. 
For  it  is  the  fact  that  when  a  corpse — nude — 
has  been  laid  on  the  jron  grating  over  the  top  of 
the  tower,  or  towers  (it  requiring  several  of  them 
grouped  together  to  constitute  a  cemetery),  and 
mankind,  having  performed  his  last  obsequies 
over  the  dead,  obsequies  which  no  unbeliever  is 
allowed  to  witness,  and  which  are  held  sacred 
and  kept  secret  even  among  the  Parsees  themselves, 
has  withdrawn,  down  swoop  those  patient  denizens 
of  the  air,  the  vultures,  and  begin  their  ghoulish 
task  of  feasting  on  the  flesh,  which  is  not  abated 
until  naught  but  the  skeleton  remains  to  bleach  in 
the  sunlight,  and  ultimately  to  drop,  bone  by  bone, 
through  the  grating  into  the  tower. 

All  this,  I  say,  besides  other  manners  and  cus 
toms  peculiar  to  the  land,  too  numerous  and  too 
varied  to  mention,  awaited  our  acquaintance  and 
inspection. 

Whenever  the  heat  sorely  tried  us  we  had 
stopped  by  the  way,  usually  at  points  where  Eu 
ropeans  had  erected  their  commodious  bungalows, 
but  sometimes  at  what  is  now  known  as  "Dak- 
bungalows,"  a  kind  of  hotel  or  public  house  con 
structed  by  the  Government,  at  regular  intervals, 
on  the  chief  military  roads.  We  had  also  been  en 
abled  several  times  to  join  in  pleasant  and  stir 
ring  hunting  expeditions,  not  the  least  exciting 
and,  occasionally,  most  dangerous  of  which  was 
pig-sticking.  The  distance  from  Calcutta  to 
Benares,  as  we  traveled,  was  therefore  a  little 
more  than  four  hundred  miles,  and  we  had  made 
an  even  month  of  it  on  the  road. 


Benares,  the  Holy.  3! 

Having  at  last  arrived  at  our  destination,  we 
found  the  officers  stationed  here  expecting  us, 
and  the  commandant,  for  the  time,  Colonel  Neill, 
who  was  to  proceed  to  Calcutta  as  soon  as  relieved, 
had  made  no  delay  in  turning  over  his  command 
to  Colonel  Eicherson,  whereupon  I  had  assumed 
the  position  as  chief-of-staff,  and  entered  at  once 
upon  the  discharge  of  my  duties — an  office  which 
I  had  found,  I^assure  you,  to  be  no  sinecure. 

Not  but  that  the  Sepoys  were  docile  enough. 
As  yet  no  sign  of  mutiny  had  been  manifested  by 
them.  They  were  rather  very  agreeable  fellows, 
being  for  the  most  part  excellent  specimens  of 
manhood — handsome,  tall,  eagle-eyed  and  self- 
possessed,  with  a  magnificent  carriage  and  superb 
bearing.  A  really  fine  appearance  they  made 
when  on  parade,  for  then  their  uniforms — a  sort 
of  a  compromise  between  the  conventional  British 
dress  and  the  native  costume — were  wonderfully 
becoming  to  them,  while  the  gorgeously  colored 
turbans  made  a  finishing  touch. 

At  the  time  of  which  I  write  the  force  at  Be 
nares  was  composed  of  the  Thirty-seventh  Regi 
ment  of  Native  Infantry,  very  nearly  one  thousand 
strong ;  the  Thirteenth  Irregular  Cavalry,  number 
ing  from  four  to  five  hundred  privates — all  na 
tives,  and  a  battalion  of  Sikhs,  consisting  of  about 
four  hundred  men. 

With  the  Thirty-seventh  there  were  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty  native  commissioned  officers; 
and  one-half  the  commissioned  and  all  the  non 
commissioned,  of  the  cavalry  and  Sikh  battalion, 
were  natives.  The  rest  of  the  officers — about 
forty  in  all — were  Europeans,  of  whom  not  more 


32  Zanee  Kooran. 

than  two-thirds  were  at  any  time  entirely  well 
and  strong,  and  properly  attached  to  the  station. 

I  mention  all  this,  not  so  much  to  show  you  how 
arduous  our  tasks  were,  as  to  enlighten  you  con 
cerning  the  true  condition  of  affairs  when  the 
Great  Kebellion  did  come;  for  the  difference  be 
tween  the  native  force  and  the  Englishmen  at 
Benares  was  a  good  example  of  every  station 
throughout  India,  in  which  the  Sepoys  came  to 
figure  so  disgracefully,  so  abominably. 

Hard  as  we  had  to  work,  however,  there  were 
attractions  and  amusements  in  plenty  to  make  us 
happy,  and  which  we  found  time  to  enjoy.  Fetes 
and  parties  were  held  weekly,  supplemented  by 
balls  and  entertainments;  and  when  these  grew 
monotonous — though  they  seldom  did — "there  was 
this  rare  old  city,  with  its  wealth  of  wonders  and 
antiquities,  to  fall  back  upon. 

Furthermore,  the  bungalows  where  we  Britons 
had  our  quarters,  were  located  in  the  pleasantest 
part  of  Secrole.  It  was  upon  an  eminence  com 
manding  not  only  a  fine  view  of  the  native  town 
— that  portion  occupied  by  the  Sepoys — but  also 
much  of  the  surrounding  country. 

My  bungalow — a  simple  but  very  pretty  affair, 
built  entirely  upon  the  ground  floor,  in  rustic 
style,  and  having  a  wide  veranda  running  round 
it,  with  tatties,  or  blinds,  made  of  reeds  or  strips 
of  wood  to  let  down,  and  give  shade  and  coolness 
to  the  rooms  within — was  just  outside  the  parade- 
ground,  at  a  point  overlooking  the  river,  on  a  lovely 
avenue,  lined  with  trees  stately  and  luxuriant  as 
any  to  be  found  in  the  parks  of  London.  That  is, 
the  maiden,  or,  as  in  England  it  would  be  called, 


Benares,  the  Holy.  33 

"the  common,"  on  which  the  troops  were  drilled 
and  exercised,  was  between  this  elevation  of  land 
and  the  barracks,  which  were  further  down  the 
river;  in  fact,  in  the  lower  part  of  the  town,  next 
to  Benares  proper. 

As  you  are  probably  aware,  the  veranda  is  to  the 
Anglo-Indian  the  real  sitting-room  of  his  bunga 
low.  Be  the  interior  ever  so  conveniently  and 
exquisitely  furnished,  it  is  here  that  the  men  and 
women  alike  love  to  sit  and  read,  talk,  or  doze. 

I  was  whiling  away  my  time  in  solitude  one  ex 
tremely  hot  afternoon,  following  drill,  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  month  of  March,  1857.  I  was  seated 
on  that  portion  of  the  veranda  facing  the  river, 
pulling  lazily  at  my  cheroot,  and  vaguely  wonder 
ing  if  the  next  mail  from  Calcutta  would  bring 
me  a  letter  from  father — for  not  yet  had  I  had 
a  line,  or  even  heard  a  word,  from  him — when 
suddenly  my  attention  was  attracted  by  a  strange, 
fairylike  looking  craft  out  on  the  water. 

It  was  a  sort  of  a  gondola — a  kind  of  craft 
much  seen  in  India — but  withal  painted  so  artis 
tically,  it  looked  from  where  I  sat  not  unlike  a 
great  swan.  Only  from  the  stern  it  was  propelled 
by  a  giant  Hindu,  all  garbed  in  white  and  be 
spangled  with  silver,  who  handled  his  oar  with 
long,  graceful,  masterly  measured  strokes. 

It  was  what  I  saw  in  the  centre,  however,  that 
chiefly  caught  and  held  my  attention. 

There — ah!  there,  under  a  canopy  of  richest 
and  glossiest  drapery — a  gilded  dome,  with  silken 
curtains — sat,  or  rather,  reclined,  on  a  heap  of 
prim  son  cushions,  a  woman  who  was  a  perfect 
model  of  loveliness.  She  seemed,  in  fact,  like  a 


34  Zanee  Kooran. 

water  nymph,  fresh-risen,  and  not  yet  marred  by 
the  cold  breezes  of  the  cruel  world. 

Her  height  was  of  the  medium,  and  her  form,  of 
exact  symmetry,  strong  and  vigorous,  was  divinely 
set  off  by  a  robe  of  creamy  cashmere,  confined  at 
the  waist  by  a  belt  of  beaten  gold.  To  perfect  the 
scene,  two  ayahs,  handsomely  attired  in  blue  saree, 
with  silver  ornaments,  were  seated  in  waiting  on 
a  tiger's  skin,  at  her  feet. 

A  spectacle  of  barbaric  splendor,  say  you  ?  Well, 
yes,  it  was;  but  not,  on  that  account,  any  the  less 
attractive,  alluring,  and  once  seen,  never  to  be 
forgotten. 

So  thought  I,  at  least;  the  more,  no  doubt,  be 
cause  that  fair  creature,  looking  up,  met  my  gaze 
with  interest,  almost  familiarity  even,  and  con 
tinued  to  as  the  gondola  swept  on  up  stream.  She 
did  not  drop  her  eyes,  in  fact,  until  nearly  past, 
and  then  it  was  with  cheeks  suffused  with  scarlet 
rich  as  that  in  the  rainbow.  The  next  minute  she 
was  gone;  the  boat  had  disappeared  behind  the 
foliage  of  some  trees  in  my  garden. 

Meanwhile,  1  sprang  to  my  feet  for  the  purpose 
of  catching  another  view,  when,  like  a  flash,  the 
absurdity  of  the  whole  came  over  me.  I  therefore 
sighed  with  relief  that  no  one  was  present  to  see 
my  foolishness,  and  sat  down  again. 

Yes,  I  now  considered  that  what  I  had  just 
beheld  was  a  fancy — a  dream,  and  nothing  more. 
My  better  sense  told  me  it  could  not  be  true. 
Would  any  lady  of  the  East,  and  especially  of  high 
caste,  venture  out  like  that,  alone,  unveiled,  and 
above  all,  return  the  look  of  a  stranger,  a  for 
eigner?  Certainly  not.  Assuming  that  such  a 


Benares,  the  Holy.  35 

person  did  exist,  however,  why  had  I  not  seen  or 
heard  of  her  before?  Surely,  I  had  been  at  Be 
nares  long  enough  now  to  have  learned  of  all  its 
notable  inhabitants. 

No,  the  more  ^thought  of  it,  the  more  was  I 
convinced  that  what  I  had  seen  had  not  been  real. 
It  was  probably  a  phantasm,  a  hallucination.  The 
day  was  just  right  for  one's  imagination  to  play 
him  tricks,  and,  moreover,  I  had  felt  in  the  proper 
mood ;  truth  to  say,  I  was  sleeepy  yet. 

This,  nevertheless,  did  not  dispel  the  fact  that, 
if  my  vision  had  been  a  dream,  not  only  was  it  the 
most  vivid  one  I  had  ever  experienced,  but  also 
the  most  potent.  It  had  left  me  filled  with  a  feel 
ing  inexplicable  further  than  a  revelation  grand 
and  forcible,  and  which  was  not  to  be  shaken  off. 
What  did  it  mean,  therefore?  That  was  what  I 
wished  to  ascertain.  Hence,  there  I  was  still  sit 
ting  on  the  veranda,  racking  my  brains  to  no  pur 
pose,  when  out  glided  my  servant,  Eummon,  and 
gave  me  a  note. 

It  was  from  Colonel  Richerson,  and  requested 
my  presence  at  his  office  without  delay. 

"Eummon,"  said  I,  "did  you  see  that  pretty  little 
boat  that's  just  passed  by — up  stream?" 

"No,  sahib,"  he  answered,  with  a  low  salaam. 

Assured  now  that  my  vision  had  been  a  dream, 
and  wondering  what  tonic  would  be  best  for  me  (I 
feared,  you  see,  for  the  pleasantness  of  my  future 
dreams),  I  hastened  to  the  colonel's. 

"Hi,  Henry!  We're  in  for  it  now,"  cried  my 
friend,  leaning  back  from  the  desk  where  he  ha.d 
been  writing. 


36  Zanee  Kooran. 

"We  are  ?  How  so  ?"  I  asked.  "Are  the  natives 
going  to  make  us  trouble,  after  all?" 

"Why,  not  as  I  know  of.  No,  Henry ;  it's  some 
thing  entirely  different.  Read  that,  if  you  will." 
He  handed  me  a  piece  of  fine,  cream-colored  vel 
lum,  exquisitely  perfumed,  on  which  was  neatly 
traced,  with  a  bright  scarlet  ink,  the  following 
missive : 

"BENARES,  THE  HOLY,  March  — ,  1857. 
"MY  DEAR  VERONA,  Wife  of  Captain  Charles 
Winslow:  I  trust  this  will  find  you  well  and  hap 
py,  for  I  am  coming  to  wait  upon  you  this  after 
noon.  I  have  something  of  the  most  vital  im 
portance  to  communicate,  and  would  advise  you 
to  have  the  captain  present,  if  possible;  also,  the 
new  commandant  and  his  wife,  Colonel  and  Mrs. 
Eicherson.  Will  you  kindly  look  to  this?  And 
oh,  don't  fail  to  invite  that  Captain  Henry  Cler- 
monte.  He  did  a  brave  thing  yesterday;  he 
snatched  Krishuna,  the  little  daughter  of  my  most 
faithful  servant,  Pyu  Yet,  from  under  the  feet  of 
an  angry  elephant,  where,  in  another  moment,  she 
would  have  surely  been  crushed.  It  was  at  the  risk 
of  his  life;  I  know  it  was,  for  I  saw  it  all  from 
my  palanquin.  It  was  nobly  done.  Pyu  Yet  will 
never  forget  it  of  him.  Ah,  think  you  he  will  see 
me,  so  I  can  thank  him  for  it?  I  shall  hope,  re 
maining,  Yours,  as  ever, 

"ZANEE,  BEGAUM  OF  BENARES." 

"Well,  who  is  she  ?"  I  asked,  when  I  had  finished 
reading  the  letter.  "Do  you  know  anything  about 
her,,  my  dear  colonel  ?" 


Benares,  the  Holy.  37 

"Yes,  a  little,"  he  replied.  "Captain  Winslow 
brought  me  her  note  a  few  minutes  ago,  which,  he 
said,  his  wife  had  received  this  morning.  Her  full 
name,  he  told  me,  is  2anee  Kooran.  It  seems  that 
by  right  she  is  a  princess,  her  grandfather,  her 
father's  father,  having  been  a  powerful  rajah,  who 
was  enormously  rich.  Her  father  inherited  only  a 
portion  of  the  power  and  wealth,  however,  and  by 
his  death,  a  few  years  ago,  the  title  became  extinct ; 
and  now  the  princess,  who  has  neither  brother  nor 
sister,  is  sole  representative  of  the  royal  race,  and 
the  inheritor  of  much  wealth,  in  palaces,  and  gold, 
and  precious  stones. 

"Happily,  she  is  English  educated,  and  a  devout 
Christian;  and,  best  of  all,  she  is  practically  ex 
empt  from  those  horrid  superstitions  of  her  people, 
among  whom  .she  is  doing  great  good  by  upholding 
and  assisting  missionary  work,  and  establishing 
schools  for  teaching  the  coming  generation. 

"Moreover,  she  is  very  pretty  and  captivating, 
possessing  charms  both  irresistible  and  inimitable. 
The  captain  and  Mrs.  Winslow  know  her  well, 
and  say  she  is  just  as  good  as  she  is  beautiful. 
All  of  which  would  be  quite  remarkable — a  blend 
ing  of  character  entirely  out  of  place,  perhaps — 
were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  her  mother  was  a 
pure-bred  Greek,  from  whom  she  has  been  borne 
to  represent  the  European  type,  and  that,  it  seems, 
in  the  highest  form. 

"But  come  with  me,  Henry,  and  learn  for  your 
self  what  she  is  like.  I  expect  by  this  time  she 
is  waiting  for  us  at  Captain  Winslow's,  and  very 
anxious,  evidently,  to  thank  you  for  that  little 
exploit  of  yesterday.  Ah,  I  didn't  know  before 


38  Zanee  Kooran. 

that  you  practiced  being  the  good  Samaritan  when 
off  duty.  It's  commendable  in  you,  of  course,  but 
there  is  no  need  of  your  being  quite  so  mum  and 
modest  about  it;  really,  there  isn't,"  he  said,  in 
a  well-feigned  injured  tone.  Then — "How  came 
you  to  rescue  the  child  named  Krishuna,  any 
way  ?" 

I  related  the  incident  to  him,  for  such  in  truth 
it  was — my  chancing  to  see  the  little  girl  in  front 
of  the  infuriated  animal,  which  had  broken  away 
from  its  keepers  and  was  madly  charging  down  the 
narrow  street  we  were  in,  so  that  I  had  barely  had 
time  to  snatch  her  up  in  my  arms  and  leap  aside 
ere  we  both  sustained  harm. 

I  had  not  learned  whose  child  she  was,  not  even 
of  what  caste,  for  she  had  at  once  escaped  from 
me,  ignorant  of  the  danger  to  which  she  had  been 
exposed,  and  I  had  given  the  circumstance  no  fur 
ther  thought  till  now.  According  to  the  princess' 
letter,  however,  deeds  of  kindness  were  as  much 
appreciated  out  here,  among  the  heathens,  as  else 
where  in  the  world;  but,  as  to  that  matter,  a  day 
was  coming  when  the  fact,  though  I  little  knew 
it  then,  would  be  impressed  upon  me  forcibly 
enough. 

"Did  I  understand  you  to  say,  colonel,  she  is 
already  waiting  for  us?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,  Henry;  I  think  so.  Leastwise,  Captain 
Winslow  said  they  were  expecting  her  every  min 
ute  in  her  gondola.  I  don't  suppose  you  have 
seen  her  pass  ?  What !  you  have  ?  Oh,  you  ras 
cal !  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  her?  Did  she 
tally  at  all  with  the  description  I've  given  you?" 

I  made  him    no    intelligible    reply.     I    could 


Benares,  th»e  Holy.  39 

not;  my  mind  was  too  much  occupied.  With 
what?  Why,  the  fact  that  if  the  princess  was  ex 
pected  in  a  gondola,  then  it  must  have  been  hers 
I  had  seen  from  my  veranda  overlooking  the 
river;  in  which  case  my  vision  Jiad  been  real,  and 
not  a  dream,  after  all. 

But  no,  it  could  not  be ;  no  creature  as  fair  as  she 
who  had  looked  up  to  me,  ever  existed  in  flesh 
and  blood.  If  she  did — ah,  a  strange  mixture  of 
doubts  and  hopes  assailed  me  as  I  set  out  with 
my  friend  for  the  captain's,  a  little  further  up  the 
river.  His  wife,  Lillian,  had  preceded  us 
thither. 


40  Zanee  Kooran. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

WHAT  ZANEE  KOORAN  HAD  TO  COMMUNICATE. 

ON  arriving  at  Captain  Winslow's  bungalow, 
the  captain  received  us. 

"Glad  to  see  you,  gentlemen,"  said  he,  smiling. 

"Has  the  princess  come?"  asked  the  colonel. 

"Yes,  she  is  here.  This  way,  if  you  please;" 
and  he  conducted  us  into  his  large,  airy  drawing- 
room,  the  low,  broad  windows  of  which  overlooked 
the  river,  with  other  windows  and  doors,  so  ar 
ranged  they  could  catch  all  the  air  that  might 
be  stirring. 

What  the  captain  had  told  us  was  true.  The 
princess  iwzs  there.  Dignified  as  a  queen,  she 
sat  on  a  divan  between  his  wife  and  the  colonel's ; 
and  oh,  of  the  beautiful  being  who  had  looked  up 
to  me  from  her  gondola  with  such  interest  I 
could  have  asked  for  no  better  counterpart,  only 
now  she  was  more  beautiful  than  then — more  con 
summately  charming,  in  fact,  than  any  form  of 
loveliness  I  had  ever  beheld  or  conceived  of  in  my 
wildest  and  most  elysian  dreams;  aye,  even  here, 

"Far  away  in  the  uttermost  East 
In  the  passionate  East,  in  the  mystical  East" 


Zanee  Kooran's  Communications.     41 

where,  ordinarily,  nothing  of  flesh  and  blood  can 
be  more  beautiful  in  all  respects  than  those  In 
dian  maidens  of  the  higher  caste  in  their  prime. 
For  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  there  is  gen 
erally  with  them  a  glorious  delicacy  of  loveliness 
in  their  every  contour  and  feature;  a  splendor  in 
their  eyes  and  hair,  and  in  the  mellow  tints  of  their 
exquisite  skin;  a  fitness  in  thei?  garments  and  a 
fascination  in  their  movements,  belonging  to  no 
other  women  on  earth.  Even  girls  of  the  lower 
classes,  before  prematurely  made  old  by  child- 
bearing  and  other  labor,  have  a  symmetry  of  form 
and  a  grace  of  motion  that  is  poetry  itself. 

But  here — here  before  me  was  a  lady — seem 
ingly  a  girl  of  not  over  nineteen  or  twenty — who 
had  all  the  characteristic  beauty  of  her  race,  and 
more. 

True,  her  skin  was  not  quite  as  white  as  a 
European's;  but  its  color  was  withal  iso  pure  and 
warm,  and  her  features  so  exactly  proportionate, 
they  were  ample  compensation,  and  her  swarthi- 
ness  was  scarcely  to  be  noticed;  certainly  not 
when  one  took  into  consideration,  as  I  did,  the 
infinite  sweetness  of  her  expression,  and  the  radi 
ance  of  her  frank  and  truthful  eyes,  which  por 
trayed  an  inner  beauty,  as  transcendent  in  its 
loveliness  as  was  the  more  palpable  splendor  that 
appeared  on  the  surface. 

Her  dress,  as  I  have  mentioned  before,  consisted 
of  cream-colored  cashmere,  and,  barring  the  belt 
of  beaten  gold — a  piece  of  unique  workmanship — 
which  held  it  in  place  at  the  waist,  her  sole  orna 
ments  were  two  large  brilliants  in  the  pendants 
hanging  from  her  ears,  and  a  massive  diamond 


4i  Zanee  Koorah. 

in  the  covering  of  her  bosom;  that  is,  not  taking 
into  consideration  her  hair,  which,  owing  to  her 
Greek  mother,  was  silky  and  curling.  This  was 
confined  at  the  forehead  by  a  fillet  of  plain  gold, 
whence  it  floated  freely  over  her  shoulders  and, 
thence,  down  to  the  girdle. 

Led  forward  and  introduced  to  her,  with  the 
colonel,  by  Captain  Winslow,  I  felt  as  if  in  the 
presence  of  a  being  far  above  and  beyond  me. 
She  seemed  like  an  immortal.  I  questioned  yet 
the  validity  of  what  I  had  seen  on  the  river  from 
my  veranda. 

Happily,  however,  my  sense  of  awe,  as  well  as 
skepticism,  passed  away  the  moment  she  began  to 
speak.  Her  voice  was  soft  and  musical,  and  this, 
with  her  graceful  deportment,  placed  me  directly 
at  my  ease. 

"I  thank  you,  my  dear  friends,"  she  said,  as 
soon  as  as  we  were  seated  and  refreshments  had 
been  served;  "I  thank  you  all  for  complying  with 
my  request.  You  make  me  feel  that  I  am  honored 
indeed." 

The  colonel  and  I  bowed  to  her. 

"And  you,  Captain  Clermonte,  I  thank  par 
ticularly,"  she  continued,  turning  her  large,  dark 
lustrous  eyes  full  upon  me.  "It  was  very  brave, 
not  to  say  noble,  of  you  to  risk  your  life  for  little 
Krishuna's.  I  thank  you  for  it,  not  so  much  on 
my  own  account,  as  her  father's,  Pyu  Yet,  whom 
nothing  would  please  more  than  to  thank  you  in 
person.  Perhaps,  if  it  would  not  be  overtaxing 
you,  you  could  grant  him  his  desire?" 

"0  princess,"  said  I,  bowing  to  her  again,  "I 
should  enjoy,  certainly,  meeting  your  estimable 


Zanee  Kooran's  Cbmmimlcations.     43 

servant.  But — pardon  me — I  fear  you,  as  well  as 
he,  have  overrated  my  services.  As  a  matter  of 
truth,  I  did  only  what  any  other  countryman  of 
mine  would  have  done  under  the  circumstances." 

What  a  ravishing  smile  she  gave  me  as  she 
turned  and  nodded  to  our  host,  who  thereupon 
arose  and  left  the  room;  quickly  to  return,  how 
ever,  ushering  into  our  presence  the  giant  Hindu 
I  had  seen  propelling  her  gondola — a  man  of 
about  my  own  age,  whose  actions  betokened  the 
strength  and  cunning  of  a  tiger. 

"0  sahib !  I  thank  you,  I  thank  you,"  he  said, 
in  excellent  English,  prostrating  himself  so  low 
before  me,  after  Captain  Winslow  had  presented 
him,  that  his  beard  swept  the  floor.  "You  saved 
my  Krishuna — my  sweet  little  Krishuna.  Would, 
sahib,  I  could  serve  you  with  my  life !" 

"Pyu  Yet,"  said  I,  placing  my  hand  solemnly 
on  his  massive  shoulder,  "I  am  glad  to  know  you 
are  such  a  devoted  father,  and  your  kind  offer  I 
shall  not  forget ;  but  in  remembrance  of  her  whom 
you  already  serve,  I  should  be  sorry  to  have  you 
endanger  yourself  for  me.  So,  my  good  fellow, 
your  obeying  and  watching  faithfully  over  the 
princess,  will  please  me  better  than  anything  else 
you  can  do." 

Lifting  his  turbaned  head,  he  gave  me  a  grateful 
look,  while  the  princess,  with  a  little  laugh  and 
an  exquisite  glance  to  me,  signaled  him  to  leave 
the  room. 

"He  is  a  trusty,  obedient  servant,"  she  said, 
when  he  was  gone,  "and  very  brave.  I  am  never 
afraid  to  go  anywhere  when  he  is  with  me.  Yon 
have  won  in  him,  Captain  Clermonte,  a  true  friend, 


44  Zanee  Kooran. 

as  likewise  you  have  in  me.  But,  for  that  matter, 
I  like  you  all.  That  is  the  reason  why  I  have 
asked  you  to  meet  me  here  to-day.  I  have  knowl 
edge  of  certain  things,  you  see,  which  it  is  of 
importance  for  you  to  know.  But,  before  proceed 
ing  further,  I  want  to  ask  if  each  of  you  can 
promise  me  you  will  breathe  to  no  living  soul,  not 
BO  it  can  get  to  any  of  my  people,  what  I  have 
to  tell  you?" 

I  was,  for  my  part,  and  so  I  observed  were  sev 
eral  of  the  others,  about  to  give  the  promise,  when 
the  colonel  checked  me  with  a  gesture. 

"Princess,"  said  he,  "would  it  be  wise  for  you 
to  impart  information  to  us  under  such  condi 
tions?  Might  you  not  be  placing  yourself  in 
peril?" 

"Ah,  that  is  the  least  of  my  concern,"  she  re 
plied;  "that  is  the  least  of  my  concern,  consider 
ing,  as  I  do,  that  the  safety  of  you  and  your 
friends  here,  as  well  as  every  European's  in  this 
land,  is  at  stake." 

By  this  we  of  course  received  a  surprise,  a  shock, 
and  I,  if  no  one  else  did,  which  was  exceedingly 
doubtful,  recalled  with  sinking  heart  the  forebod 
ings  I  had  heard  before  stepping  my  foot  in  India. 

"Well,  even  thus,"  the  colonel  continued,  per 
fectly  composed  in  appearance,  "I  should  dread 
to  have  you  compromise  yourself  in  any  way. 
Perhaps  the  matter  could  be  disclosed  to  us  by 
some  other  agent  than  through  you.  Have  you 
thought  of  that,  fair  lady?" 

"I  have,  sir;  but  it  is  useless,"  she  responded 
with  a  sad  smile.  "Xo  one  can  very  well  en 
lighten  you  except  myself;  none  have  in  most  re- 


Zanee  Kooran's  Communications.     45 

epects  a  better  knowledge  of  the  affair,  and,  fur 
ther,  all  my  people  are  expected  in  a  general  way 
to  keep  it  secret  from  you  Europeans.  Woe  to 
the  one  who  does  not,  be  his  treachery  discovered. 
But  what  if  /  should  tell  you?  I  am  not  bound, 
remember,  by  either  oaths  or  restrictions  of  any 
kind  to  keep  silent;  and — did  not  your  chief -of - 
staff  here  voluntarily  expose  himself  for  one  of 
my  household  yesterday  ?  Ah,  my  friends,  my  only 
danger  would  lie  in  your  accidentally,  that  is, 
thoughtlessly  betraying  me;  and  that,  I  am  sure, 
you  would,  every  one  of  you,  be  careful  not  to  do. 
Hence,  let  me  warn  you  so  you  may  be  on  your 
guard,  and  ready  to  defend  yourselves  when  the 
hour  of  need  shall  come;  for  if  left  in  ignorance 
much  longer,  I  fear,  I  know,  in  fact,  that  your 
lives  will  ultimately  pay  the  forfeit.  Give  me, 
then,  your  promise  you  won't  betray  me,  and 
listen." 

"Really,  princess,  I  can  hardly  bring  myself  to 
believe  we  are  in  any  such  danger  as  you  say," 
said  the  colonel  regretfully.  "Surely,  you  don't 
mean  to  imply  that  the  Sepoys  are  plotting  against 
us,  do  you?" 

"Alas,  sir,  I  have  the  greatest  fears  they  are, 
and  am  not  at  all  surprised  at  your  feeling  se 
cure.  But,"  and  she  looked  at  him  sorrowfully, 
"unless  you,  all  of  you,  can  give  me  your  word 
you  will  not  betray  me,  I  shall  hardly  dare  reveal 
anything,  though  I  know  you  wouldn't,  of  your 
own  free  will,  get  me  into  trouble." 

"Oh,  pardon  me — pardon  me,  princess;  I'd  lost 
sight  of  that,  I  had,  'pon  my  honor!"  cried  the 
colonel,  in  much  confusion.  And  profusely 


46  Zanee  Roorart. 

apologizing,  he  gave  the  promise  reluctantly,  as 
did  the  rest  of  us  now,  though  not  on  that  account 
any  the  less  sincerely,  for,  like  him,  we  felt  it 
was  a  pity  for  one  so  young  and  so  fair  to  hazard 
herself  in  our  behalf. 

She  thanked  us  charmingly — not  only  in  words, 
but  by  the  glorious  expression  of  relief  which 
overspread  her  features,  this  being  followed  in 
stantly  by  one  of  deep  solemnity,  while  the  won 
drous  eyes  seemed  to  gaze  far  off  beyond  the  pres 
ent  .scene. 

"My  friends,"  she  began,  in  a  low,  earnest 
tone,  full  of  heart  and  meaning,  "my  friends,  you 
must  listen  well  to  my  words,  for  what  I  have  to 
say  is  of  great  moment,  and,  as  I  have  intimated, 
it  is  doubtful  if  another  person  exists,  leastwise 
not  here  in  Benares,  who  can  tell  it  with  knowl 
edge  and  understanding.  There  is  a  man  named 
Dhundoo  Punt.  Have  any  of  you  heard  of  him  ?" 

"Yes,  princess ;  I  think  so,"  said  the  colonel. 
"He  is  Rajah  of  Bithoor — up  there  above  Cawn- 
pore;  is  he  not,  Captain  Winslow?" 

"He  is,  sir,"  the  captain  replied;  "he  is  also 
known  as  Nana  Sahib." 

"That's  he!"  the  princess  exclaimed,  with  an 
ominous  shake  of  her  head ;  "that's  the  man  whom 
I  fear  many  of  your  people  will  know  to  their  sor 
row  ere  long,  unless  something  is  done  to  check 
his  career.  Ah,  listen  while  I  tell  you  of  him ; 
then,  perhaps,  you  will  understand." 

We  were  gazing  at  her  in  surprise,  mingled 
with  no  little  apprehension. 

"He  is  young  yet,  is  Dhundoo  Punt,"  she  con 
tinued;  "just  a  few  years  past  thirty,  and  as  am- 


Zanee  Kooron*s  Communications.     47 

bitious  as  any  man  can  very  well  be.  There  are 
reasons  for  it.  He  was  born  in  the  Deccan,  of 
Brahmanic  parents,  a  good  family,  but  poor,  and 
while  still  an  infant  adopted  by  a  nabob  of  Bit 
hoor,  named  Bajee  Rao,  who  was  chief  of  the 
Mahrattas;  a  thing,  you  know,  that  is  often  done 
among  my  people.  But  Bajee  Rao  was  deposed 
by  the  British  in  after  years,  who  gave  him,  in 
requital,  a  rich  estate  near  to  Bithoor,  and  settled 
upon  him,  for  the  maintenance  of  this  and  his 
household,  a  pension  of  eighty  thousand  pounds 
a  year. 

"Well,  so  much  for  the  old  rajah,  except  that 
he  died  six  years  ago,  without  leaving  direct  heirs. 
The  fact  was,  he  never  had  any  children  of  his 
own.  Therefore,  as  the  British  Government  re 
fuses  to  recognize  heirs  by  adoption,  the  estate 
and  pension  were  both  declared  as  having  lapsed 
to  the  East  India  Company. 

"Now,  all  this,  as  you  may  well  infer,  greatly 
incensed  the  adopted  son,  Dhundoo  Punt.  Not 
only  did  he  declare  the  action  wrong,  but  sought 
by  every  means  in  his  power  to  have  it  reversed, 
even  to  sending  an  agent  to  England  for  the 
purpose  at  his  own  expense.  His  efforts,  how 
ever,  were  unavailing.  The  sum  was  too  large 
for  your  people  to  let  go  if  they  could  help  it,  and 
they  claimed,  with  great  show  of  reason,  that 
this  charity  child,  of  no  blood  relation  with  the 
old  chief,  had  no  legal  right  to  it.  Accordingly 
he  never  received  it.  The  most  he  was  allowed 
was  a  handsome  residence  at  Bithoor,  where  he 
has  accumulated  much  wealth,  and  where,  alas  I 


48  Zanee  Kooran. 

as  Eajah  Nana,  he  has  acquired  great  authority 
and  influence. 

"I  say  alas,  in  that,  though  loud  have  lately 
been  his  professions  of  love  for  your  people,  I 
know  in  his  heart  there  is  plenty  of  bitterness; 
and  that  he  is  seeking  means  of  vengeance.  How 
do  I  know?  Because  he  has  recently  been  to  me, 
in  an  earnest  and  a  dictatorial  mood.  He  came, 
moreover,  in  disguise;  and  what  do  you  sup 
pose  he  wanted?  He  wanted  me  to  let  him  have 
a  million  of  money,  of  English  pounds,  promis 
ing,  swearing,  in  fact,  he  would  repay  it.  But 
when  I  asked  him  how  he  could  ever  hope  to  repay 
such  a  sum,  he  hesitated  to  answer.  It  wasn't 
that  he  lacked  for  language,  for  twice  he  started 
to  speak,  yet  held  back  his  words.  But,  at  length 
he  said,  with  a  significance  not  to  be  mistaken:  '/ 
will  take  it  from  our  English  masters.  If  they 
give  it  not  freely,  I  will  find  a  way  to  force  it.' 
Yes,  my  friends,  those  were  his  exact  words;  and 
oh,  his  face  when  he  spoke  was  the  face  of  a 
demon ! 

" '/  will  find  a  way  to  force  it !'  Is  not  that 
sufficient  to  set  one  thinking?  Will  it  not  bear 
consideration?  Look  at  your  army  here  in  In 
dia.  In  the  British  possessions  of  Hindustan, 
are  fully  two  hundred  thousand  native  soldiers, 
what  you  call  Sepoys.  On  the  other  hand,  how 
many  European  troops  are  there,  taking  all  who 
are  scattered  throughout  the  country?" 

"Why,  not  more  than  thirty-eight  thousand, 
princess,"  replied  Captain  Winslow. 

"Yes,  that  is  about  the  number.  Well,  now, 
again,"  she  continued,  "look  at  the  composition 


Zanee  Kooran's  Communications.      49 

of  a  regiment  of  Sepoys.  Take,  for  example, 
the  Thirty-seventh,  stationed  here.  In  that  regi 
ment,  when  it  is  full,  are  one  thousand  private 
soldiers,  one  hundred  and  twenty  native  commis 
sioned,  and  twenty  native  non-commissioned, 
officers;  in  all,  eleven  hundred  and  forty  Sepoys. 
Am  I  right?"  ,she  asked,  with  a  smile. 

"Indeed,  you  are,"  said  the  colonel,  looking  at 
her  with  admiration. 

"Ah,  I  thought  so/'  she  resumed,  arching  her 
eyebrows.  "For,  you  see,  I  asked  Dhundoo  Punt 
about  it ;  I  asked  him,  in  fact,  all  I  could  think  of 
concerning  the  military.  I  did  it  purposely.  And 
what  did  he  do?  Why,  answered  my  questions — 
every  one  of  them — unsuspiciously.  Hence,  I 
drew  it  out  of  him  how  he  has  made  a  study  of  this 
matter;  and  that  it  is  not  for  any  good,  I  shall 
soon  convince  you. 

"To  return  to  the  subject,  therefore,  in  the 
Thirty-seventh  Eegiment  how  many  European 
officers  have  you?" 

"Twenty-five,  if  the  number  was  complete/'  I 
answered. 

"But  is  it  ever  complete?"  she  asked. 

"No,"  replied  the  colonel;  "no,  princess,  I  find 
some  of  the  officers  are  absent,  always  absent, 
either  sick  or  on  furlough,  or,  what  is  more  likely, 
on  detached  duty  elsewhere." 

"That  is  it,"  she  exclaimed;  "that  is  exactly 
what  the  Nana  said  himself.  Oh,  he  has  made 
a  study  of  it,  there  isn't  a  doubt. 

"But,  to  come  back  to  the  point  once  more,  what 
are  the  Sepoys?  They  are  not  brutes,  are  they? 
No,  they  are  men,  men  who  can  reason  as  well  "as 


5o  Zanee  Kooran. 

you  can,  my  friends,  and  who  can  as  easily  be 
brought  to  see  where  wrong  has  been  done,  espe 
cially  when  it  affects  themselves.  And  you  won't 
deny,  will  you,  that  a  great  wrong  was  done  when 
Lord  Dalhousie  took  the  territory  of  Oude,  a  ter 
ritory,  remember,  far  greater  than  your  own  fair 
land  of  England;  when  he  took  that,  I  say,  away 
from  the  people  who  had  been  born  and  reared  its 
owners,  more,  robbed  them  of  their  estates,  their 
country,  and  placed  over  them  rulers  who  were 
foreign  and  strange  to  them. 

"Yes,  that  was  a  heinous  wrong;  and  now — 
now  the  worst  of  it  is,  the  evil  from  the  same  still 
lives.  Therefore,  with  an  eloquent  chief,  like 
Nana  Sahib,  would  it  be  difficult,  do  you  think, 
to  stir  up  the  Sepoys,  at  least  the  most  of  them, 
to  open  rebellion ;  that  is,  taking  it  for  granted 
that  such  a  man  had  resolved  on  such  a  course?" 

"No,  princess;  probably  not,"  said  the  colonel 
gravely. 

"Well,  listen  now:  While  Dhundoo  Punt  was 
here,  which  occurred  no  further  back  than  a  week 
ago,  he  had  a  number  of  interviews  with  your  na 
tive  officers;  and,  like  his  coming  to  see  me,  he 
did  not  visit  them  openly,  as  is  his  wont  when  he 
visits.  How  do  I  know?  Because  it  chanced  I 
learned  he  was  in  Benares  the  day  he  arrived,  and 
accordingly  had  some  of  my  most  trusted  servants, 
particularly  Pyu  Yet,  who,  for  all  his  size,  is  an 
adept  spy — follow  him  constantly  and  report  to 
me  his  conduct.  Thus  I  learned  that  he  ven 
tured  up  here  at  night  on  several  different  oc 
casions,  and  stole  into  the  subahdars'  quarters, 
only  to  steal  away  again,  like  an  evil  spirit! 


Zanee  Kooran's  Communications.      51 

"Hence  it  was  I  wouldn't  let  him  have  a  rupee, 
though  it  is  doubtful  if  I  should  anyway,  so 
much  had  I  always  distrusted  and  despised  him. 
I  told  him,  bluntly,  that  my  wealth  was  where  I 
could  not  readily  command  it;  and  I  further  in 
formed  him — for  I  would  not  be  a  coward — that 
I  had  no  confidence  in  his  ability  to  pay.  Said 
I  to  him:  'If  you  can  force  a  loan  to  repay  me, 
you  can  force  it  on  your  own  account.'  For  that 
he  pretended  to  thank  me;  and  then,  when  he 
arose  to  leave,  warned  me  not  to  speak  to  a  hu 
man  being  of  what  he  had  said  to  me.  Ah,  wasn't 
that  enough  to  condemn  him?"  she  asked  eagerly. 

"It  was,  princess,"  the  colonel  replied,  with 
troubled  brow,  while  the  rest  of  us  sighed  and  shud 
dered,  shook  within  ourselves,  as  it  were,  as  we 
thought  of  the  danger  she  might  be  incurring  by 
revealing  to  us  so  much.  "Yes,  it  places  the  Nana 
in  a  bad  light,"  the  colonel  continued,  "a  very  bad 
light.  But  what  did  he  do  next?  Can  you  tell 
us  that?" 

"I  can  to  a  certain  degree,"  she  answered.  "He 
set  out  soon  after  for  Cawnpore,  where  your  people 
have  an  important  garrison.  He  contemplated, 
I  think,  returning  to  his  home  at  Bithoor,  which, 
you  know,  is  eight  miles  above  there;  but  he  may 
keep  on  to  Delhi.  I'd  sooner  think  he  would, 
for  there  is  evil  in  his  mind,  I  tell  you,  and  his 
heart  is  fraught  with  vengeance. 

"And  now,  my  friends,  I  have  only  to  add,  be 
on  your  guard.  As  you  can  see,  even  here  in 
Secrole  you  are  threatened ;  and  should  the  Se 
poys  ever  find  fauU.  with  the  cartridges  of  their 
new  muskets,  or  refuse  to  use  them,  as  the  Nine- 


52  Zanee  Kooran. 

teenth  Regiment  did  at  Berhampore  last  month, 
know  that  Dhundoo  Punt  has  put  the  thought 
into  their  minds.  Know,  too,  that  great  danger 
is  hidden  in  the  event.  Aye,  when  the  time  shall 
come,  and  come  it  will,  I  verily  believe,  unless 
something  is  done,  and  done  speedily,  to  prevent 
it;  when  the  time  shall  come,  I  say,  that  the 
Sepoys  refuse  to  touch  a  cartridge  because  the 
fat  of  an  animal  is  on  it,  prepare  yourselves  for 
graver  things  to  follow;  nerve  your  hearts  then 
for  the  very  worst." 

"Well,  princess,  you  have  the  matter  down  fine, 
'pon  my  soul !"  cried  the  colonel,  with  a  deep- 
drawn  sigh.  "If  the  Sepoys  should  want  to  seek 
a  cause  for  fault-finding,  they  could  hardly  choose 
a  better  one  than  you  have  mentioned." 

This,  alas !  was  true.  The  Government  had 
just  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  native  troops  the 
new  Enfield  rifle,  the  then  latest  improvement  in 
fire-arms,  for  use  in  the  field;  and  that  the 
greatest  possible  accuracy  in  firing  might  be  at 
tained  with  it,  the  cartridges  were  made  to  fit 
exceedingly  close — much  more  so  than  those  used 
in  the  old  smooth-bore  muskets.  Where  they 
dropped  freely  into  the  chambers,  these  had  to 
be  driven  home  with  the  rammer;  and  that  it 
might  be  the  more  readily  done,  the  cartridges 
were  greased — generally  with  common  tallow,  a 
mixture  of  the  fats  from  beef  and  mutton.  More 
over,  there  was  a  bit  of  superfluous  paper  at  the 
end  of  the  cartridge,  which  the  soldier,  in  the 
regular  manner  of  loading,  had  to  bite  off  with 
his  teeth ;  and,  as  you  probably  know,  the  Hin 
dus  have  a  prejudice,  a  religious  horror  against 


Zanee  Kooran's  Communications.     53 

putting  the  fat  of  certain  animals  into  the  mouth, 
that  of  the  cow  and  pig  above  all  others.  Hence 
the  reason  for  the  colonel's  remarks,  who  thus 
continued : 

"But,  princess,  our  Sepoys  have  not  shown  the 
least  inclination  yet  of  refusing  to  bite  the  car 
tridges.  Just  the  same,  I  can  see  how  a  design 
ing  man  of  their  own  people,  a  chieftain  among 
them,  who  had  their  confidence,  might  excite  their 
imaginations  and  arouse  their  worst  passions;  in 
proof  whereof  you  have  cited  one  case,  that  of 
the  Nineteenth's  mutinous  behavior  at  Berham- 
pore." 

"Yes,  and  who  knows  but  that  affair,  as  well 
as  the  First  Madras  Eegiment's  refusing  to  march 
from  Vizianagram  to  Kurnol  without  their  fami 
lies,  didn't  originate  with  Nana  Sahib  ?  Mightn't 
he  have  planned  them  as  forerunners  of  greater 
evils  ?"  asked  Captain  Winslow  thoughtfully. 

"Certainly,"  replied  the  princess;  "ah,  and  now 
you  have  spoken,  I  believe  it  was  so.  Yes,"  she 
added,  reflectively,  "  'twould  be  just  like  Dhundoo 
Punt  to  adopt  such  measures  for  rousi  g  the  peo 
ple;  he  could  thus  make  known  to  them  his  de 
signs,  and  steel  their  hearts  for  vengeance — his 
vengeance." 

•'But,"  said  I — at  a  venture,  "the  Nineteenth 
will  probably  be  disbanded.  "Perhaps  that'll  have 
a  tendency  to  put  a  stop  to  any  further  premedi 
tated  trouble." 

"Oh,  no,  it  won't!"  she  cried,  flashing  me  a 
look  of  surprise;  "no,  indeed.  Eather,  it  will  be 
one  of  the  worst  things  that  can  happen;  it  will 


54  Zanee  Kooran. 

scatter  far  and  wide  the  germs  of  treason  and  re 
volt,  and  that  is  just  what  Dhundoo  Punt  wants." 

"I  fear  you  are  right/'  said  Captain  Winslow, 
with  a  dubious  shake  of  his  head.  "The  disband 
ing  of  a  regiment — a  native  one — is  a  serious  affair 
in  this  land.  It  is  a  weighty  penalty,  in  fact,  for 
it  deprives  every  subahdar  of  his  position,  every 
Sepoy  of  his  pension,  and,  further,  all  those  who 
have  attained  to  that  age  where  they  can  no  longer 
be  received  as  recruits  for  the  army,  yet  have  no 
choice  of  labor  but  to  remain  soldiers,  as  a  means 
of  livelihood,  even  though  they  be  Brahmans  of 
high  caste.  Do  you  see  how  it  is  now,  Captain 
Clermonte?" 

"I  think  I  do,"  I  answered;  and  thenceforth 
refrained  from  making  any  more  attempts  to  air 
my  ignorance. 

"Oh,  well,  perhaps  it  won't  be  as  bad  as  that," 
said  the  colonel  hopefully.  "One  thing  is  cer 
tain:  it  doesn't  seem  as  if  the  Nana  can  have 
much  influence,  or  exercise  any  great  authority, 
so  far  south  as  Berhampore." 

"I  know  it  doesn't,"  the  princess  replied;  "but 
I  believe,  nevertheless,  it  is  so.  And  that  is  the 
reason,  coupled  with  what  I  have  already  learned, 
why  I  fear  Dhundoo  Punt,  unless  his  career  is 
checked,  will  avail  himself  of  the  superstitions  of 
the  natives  and  incite  them  to  murder  your  peo 
ple,  not  only  at  Meerut,  Lucknow,  Delhi,  Cawn- 
pore,  and  other  places,  but — even  here." 

"Great  powers !  I  hope  not,"  cried  the  colonel, 
aghast.  <fWhy,  that  would  be  horrible — some 
thing  unheard  of."  Then,  in  a  milder  intona 
tion,  "Well,  princess,  thanks  to  you,  we  will  keep 


Zanee  Kooron's  Communications.     55 

our  eyes  open  and  if  trouble  does  come,  be  pre 
pared  to  meet  it." 

"God  grant  you  may !"  she  murmured  fervently. 

"But  you  speak  of  the  Nana's  career  being 
checked;  have  you  anything  special  in  mind  by 
that?"  he  asked. 

"I  have,"  she  replied.  "I  would  suggest  that 
he  be  arrested — in  other  words,  placed  in  con 
finement  at  once." 

"Arrested?  Confined?  Ah,  pardon  me,  prin 
cess,  but  that  couldn't  very  well  be  done  with 
out  cause,  and  Nana  Sahib,  you  know,  has  com 
mitted  no  crime  yet  which  can  be  proved  against 
him;  moreover,  he  is  far  away  from  us,  provided 
we  had  the  authority  to  detain  him." 

"I  fear,  sir,  I  haven't  expressed  myself  clear 
enough,"  she  said,  with  a  flush.  "I  don't  mean 
for  you  to  assume  the  responsibility  of  taking  him 
into  custody,  but  rather  that  you  could  assist  in 
bringing  it  about,  and  so  save,  perhaps,  thousands 
of  lives — innocent  lives.  The  new  Governor- 
general  is  a  good  man,  isn't  he?  Well,  with  the 
knowledge  you  now  possess,  what  is  to  hinder  you 
having  this  matter  brought  before  him,  and  the 
necessity  urged  upon  him  of  his  selecting  some 
trusty  men — men  brave,  sagacious,  prudent — and 
investing  them  with  the  power  to  take  Dhundoo 
Punt  into  custody  on  suspicion?" 

"It  could  be  done,  I  suppose,"  said  the  colonel 
reflectively;  "but  do  you  think  it  would  improve 
the  situation?" 

"I  do,  if  the  execution  of  it  were  not  delayed 
too  long.  Yes,  arrest  Nana  Sahib  and  place  him 
where  none  of  the  Sepoys  can  have  further  com- 


56  Zanee  Kooran. 

munication  with  him,  and  I'll  warrant  there  will  be 
no  trouble  at  all.  Of  course,  the  work  should 
be  done  quietly — secretly,  if  possible.  But  if  any 
thing  serious  did  arise  from  it,  mark  me,  it 
could  be  much  more  readily  met  and  overcome  than 
that  which  is  sure  to  ensue  if  he  is  left  to  come 
and  go  at  will,  and  confer  at  pleasure  with  the 
native  troops. 

"Forgive  me,  my  friends,  for  taking  such  liber 
ties;  but  I  tell  you  I  feel  this  matter  deeply,  and 
— I  fear  much." 

"Dear  princess,  don't  speak  of  such  a  thing 
as  forgiveness,"  we  cried  in  chorus;  "allow  us  to 
eay,  rather,  we  thank  you  for  all  time,  for  what 
you  have  told  us." 

She  smiled  at  this  gratefully,  and  her  eyes  shone 
with  pleasure — the  more  so  because  at  the  same 
moment  the  wife  of  the  captain  and  colonel  took 
her,  each  of  them,  by  the  hand  and  kissed  her. 

"Remember,  you  are  not  to  breathe  my  name  to 
another  person  in  connection  with  what  I  have 
told  you ;  that  much  you  have  promised." 

"Oh,  princess,  don't  fear,"  said  Mrs.  Richer- 
son,  kissing  her  again.  "We  love  you — we  do, 
every  one  of  us  too  well  to  let  one  word  escape 
which  would  endanger  you.  Why,  I  didn't  dream 
you  were  such  a  dear.  I  want  you  to  come  and 
visit  me  the  very  first  chance  you  have — to-mor 
row,  if  you  will.  Can  you  ?" 

"I  see  nothing  to  hinder  me,"  she  replied  smil 
ingly.  She  arose  to  depart. 

While  I  was  escorting  her  down  to  the  river, 
she  informed  me  she  had  once  passed  six  months 
in  Paris. 


2anee  Kooron's  Communications.     57 

"That  was  when  father  was  alive/'  she  said. 
"He  wanted  me  to  finish  my  education  in  French ; 
but  I  never  did.  I  didn't  like  it.  I  liked  English 
best — better  even  than  my  own  language." 

This,  of  course,  delighted  me. 

Having  watched  the  giant,  Pyu  Yet,  propel  her 
gondola  out  of  sight,  I  hastened  back  to  the  draw 
ing-room  where  I  had  left  my  friends,  and  where 
I  found  them  still  seated,  in  earnest  consultation 
as  to  what  would  be  the  best  means  of  setting 
before  Lord  Canning  the  project  of  checking  N"ana 
Sahib;  the  outcome  of  which  was,  we  at  length 
decided,  that  Captain  Winslow,  who  could  the 
most  readily  be  spared  of  any  of  us  (though  that 
was  saying  little  enough),  should  undertake  the 
enterprise  alone,  and  on  arriving  at  Calcutta  re 
ceive  Colonel  Neill,  the  regular  commandant  of 
Benares,  into  his  confidence.  Through  him  we 
thought  he  would  be  more  likely  to  make  a  favor 
able  impression  upon  His  Lordship ;  and  for  that 
reason,  should  he  meet  him  while  en  route  to  the 
capital, — Neill  was  now  expected  home  every  day, 
— he  was  to  try  to  prevail  upon  him  to  turn  back 
and  accompany  him  thither.' 


58  Zanee  Kooraft. 


CHAPTEK  V. 

A  DELICATE  MISSION". 

DURING  the  absence  of  Captain  Winslow,  we 
had  letters  from  him  only  once.  Those,  written 
on  his  arrival  at  Calcutta,  came  by  courier.  Their 
chief  import  was  that  he  had  found  Colonel 
Neill,  and  that  he  was  perfectly  willing  to  lend 
him  all  the  assistance  possible  toward  getting  him 
a  favorable  audience  with  the  Governor-general. 
With  that  he  had  to  be  content. 

Truth  to  tell,  it  had  been  a  part  of  our  arrange 
ments  with  the  captain  to  intrust  no  information 
to  letters  which  might,  by  getting  lost,  or  be 
ing  miscarried,  give  Nana  Sahib's  emissaries 
(if  he  had  any,  and  we  felt  confident  he  must), 
evidence  that  we  were  suspicious  of  him.  Hence 
we  did  not  expect  to  hear  anything  very  definite 
from  our  friend  until  he  should  return.  But  we 
had  looked  for  him  to  write  us  occasionally. 
Therefore,  when  at  the  end  of  several  weeks  he 
failed  to  do  so,  it  could  not  help  but  make  us 
nervous  and  uneasy ;  especially  since  certain  things 
had  occurred  that  gave  color  to  Zanee  Kooran's 
prognostications  of  there  being  a  general  upris 
ing  of  the  Hindus  at  hand. 

In  the  first  place  it  had  come  to  light  that 


A  Delicate  Mission.  59 

chupatties  (a  kind  of  flat  cake  made  of  flour 
and  water,  and  which  constitutes  a  staple  article 
of  diet  in  India)  had  long  been  freely  circulated 
among  the  native  troops  all  over  the  country. 
This  alone  was  a  bad  omen,  in  that,  though  the 
exact  meaning  of  the  custom  is  a  mystery  to  all 
save  the  initiated,  it  implies  to  prepare  or  make 
ready ;  and  as  the  cakes  are  never  so  employed  un 
less  serious  mischief  is  contemplated,  the  impres 
sion  made  by  the  discovery  on  the  European  popu 
lation  at  the  time  of  which  I  write  was  anything 
but  agreeable. 

Then,  like  a  thunder-bolt,  had  come  that  shock 
ing  tragedy  at  Barrackpore,  a  few  miles  from  Cal 
cutta,  namely,  the  shooting  of  the  European  ser 
geant-major  of  the  Thirty-fourth  Native  Infantry, 
and  the  cutting  down  of  an  officer,  all  by  one  of 
its  own  members — a  Sepoy  named  Mangul  Pandy 
— who  had  thereupon  exhorted  his  countrymen, 
in  vain  it  happily  turned  out,  to  rise  to  arms. 

Thus  the  situation  had  gone  from  bad  to  worse. 
Rumors  of  disaffection  grew,  until  they  were  cur 
rent  from  nearly  every  station  throughout  Ben 
gal. 

At  Arga,  Umbullah,  and  other  places,  incen 
diary  fires  not  only  frequently  broke  out,  but 
anonymous  letters  were  occasionally  intercepted, 
urging  the  Sepo3rs  to  revolt.  In  Lucknow  the  sit 
uation  became  so  serious  that  Sir  Henry  Law 
rence,  the  commissioner  of  Oude,  telegraphed  the 
Governor-general  for  unlimited  powers,  which  he 
said  he  would  not  abuse.  Needless  to  say,  his  re- 
ouest  had  been  promptly  granted.  The  fact  was, 
the  Bombay  Times  of  the  first  week  in  May,  rep- 


60  Zanee  Koorart. 

resented  the  whole  country,  from  Calcutta  to 
Lahore,  as  either  in  open  mutiny,  or  upon  the 
verge  of  it.  Abiding  by  reports,  the  Punjab  alone 
remained  faithful;  therefore,  if  trouble  did  come, 
the  troops  of  the  Madras  and  Bombay  presidencies 
would  be  the  sole  ones  to  rely  upon  for  aid.  That 
would  be  a  slender  reserve,  but,  of  course,  better 
than  none. 

To  us,  the  outlook  had  hardly  reached  such  an 
appalling  state  as  this.  There  were  some  sta 
tions  still — important  ones,  too — that  appeared 
to  be  all  right.  Our  own,  for  example.  Here  at 
Benares  the  Sepoys  continued,  despite  mysterious 
happenings  and  foretold  calamities,  to  be  very 
docile  and  obedient;  but  no  more  so  than  did 
those  at  Cawnpore.  These  were  the  two  places 
through  which,  the  princess  had  especially  warned 
us,  Nana  Sahib  would  be  most  likely  to  strike  at 
the  Europeans  first.  On  the  contrary,  however, 
the  latest  advices  from  Cawnpore  represented  him 
as  more  friendly  than  ever  toward  the  English, 
and  ready  to  loan  them  assistance  in  the  way  of 
men  and  guns,  should  there  be  the  least  likelihood 
of  the  Sepoys  making  trouble. 

Hence,  was  it  any  wonder  we  were  kept  in  a 
quandary  as  to  what  awaited  us  in  the  future? 

Our  gravest  fears  were  aroused  by  Captain  Win- 
Blow's  unaccountable  silence ;  we  could  only  specu 
late  as  to  what  the  outcome  of  his  mission  had 
been  and,  hopeful  for  the  best,  continue  to  be 
lieve  that  the  Governor-general  had  quietly  sent 
him,  with  Colonel  Neill — from  whom  we  like 
wise  received  not  a  line — to  Cawnpore,  to  make 
investigations. 


A  Delicate  Mission.  61 

Certainly  nothing  of  less  importance  and  deli 
cacy  could  have  kept  him  away  from  us  so  long, 
with  no  word  of  explanation,  and  especially  from 
his  wife,  Verona. 

Very  dearly  she  loved  her  husband,  and  withal 
was  a  faithful,  devoted  wife.  But,  luckily,  for 
her,  she  was  also  a  patient,  courageous  little  body 
— just  the  mate  for  such  a  man  as  the  captain, 
who  was  about  three  years  her  senior,  and  as 
prompt  and  prudent,  and  possessed  of  as  much 
dash  and  courage,  as  any  soldier  in  Her  Majesty's 
army.  She  therefore  bore  his  absence  bravely; 
she  bore  it,  in  fact,  with  a  resignation  few  women 
could  have  shown  better. 

Of  course  we  did  all  we  could  to  lighten  her 
sorrow;  but  if  ever  she  was  induced  to  forget  her 
grief,  I  ascribe  it  chiefly  to  Zanee  Kooran.  She 
visited  her  daily  and  occasionally  took  her  in  her 
gondola,  to  her  palace  in  the  city,  there  to  keep 
and  entertain  her  perhaps  till  the  following  day. 

I  was  thus  afforded  ample  opportunities  of  meet 
ing  her;  and  that,  needless  to  say,  gave  me  in 
describable  delight. 

When  brought  face  to  face  with  her  I  always  felt, 
as  upon  the  occasion  when  introduced  to  her  in 
Captain  Winslow's  drawing-room,  that  there  was 
a  glory  of  innocence — aye,  a  reflection  of  God's 
own  light  about  her  form  and  features,  which 
tinged  the  worship  her  loveliness  commanded  with 
a  touch  of  reverential  awe. 

You  who,  it  may  be,  have  never  known  what  it 
is  to  love — to  have  the  full  tide  of  a  pure  passion 
poured  suddenly  into  your  heart,  flooding  it,  may 
smile  at  this,  but  I  assure  you,  it  was  so.  In- 


62  Zanee  Kooran. 

deed,  the  bolt  that  sped  from  her  dark,  lustrous 
eyes  that  afternoon  as  she  gazed  up  to  me  from 
her  gondola,  when  first  I  saw  her  from  my  ve 
randa  facing  the  river,  had  gone  straight  home, 
thrilling  me  with  the  inrush  of  an  unabating, 
unique  emotion — not  only  at  that  time,  but  ever 
since. 

Though  I  surmised  through  her  every  word  and 
action,  that  Zanee  Kooran  cared  for  me  in  re 
turn,  I  felt  reluctant,  no  matter  how  often  the 
opportunity  presented  itself,  to  tell  her  of  my 
own  affection,  lest  the  surprise,  the  joy  of  it  should 
have  caused  her  to  vanish  from  my  sight,  as  glit 
tering,  glistening  bubbles  do  when  smote  by  even 
the  slightest,  gentlest  breeze,  and  so  obliterate 
the  rainbow  promise  set  upon  my  sky.  In  truth, 
it  was  by  chance  only  I  came  to  reveal  myself  to 
her. 

This  was  how  it  happened. 

She  and  I  were  walking  one  sultry  morning  in 
the  grove  below  Captain  Winslow's  bungalow,  down 
the  river.  She  had  just  been  to  call  on  the  cap 
tain's  wife,  and  we  were  alone. 

"Well,  how  did  you  find  your  friend,  to-day, 
princess?"  asked  I  at  length,  happy  in  the  witch 
ery  of  having  her  at  my  side. 

"If  the  captain  doesn't  come  home,  or  send  her 
tidings  of  himself,  soon,  it  may  be  impossible  to 
pacify  her.  She  has  almost  lost  faith  in  his  hav 
ing  been  sent  to  Cawnpore.  And  to  tell  the  truth, 
I  am  about  agreeing  with  her." 

"You  are  ?  What  has  happened  for  you  to  talk 
so,  princess?" 

"A  number  of  things,  Captain  Clermonte.    1 


A  Delicate  Mission.  63 

had  a  letter  last  night  from  Dhundoo  Punt  him 
self  who,  in  part,  wrote  me  this:  'My  Dear 
Begaum,  I  cannot  begin  to  tell  you  of  the  pleas 
ure,  the  satisfaction  it  affords  me  to  know  you  are 
taking  such  an  interest  in  the  Europeans  of  Be 
nares;  I  can  only  say  that  those  here  at  Cawn- 
pore  are  not  one  whit  less  interesting  to  me.  There 
fore,  keep  alive  your  interest,  for  you  may  rest  as 
sured  I  shall  mine;  in  which  case  neither  of  us 
will  have  cause  to  fret,  since,  no  matter  what 
happens,  harm,  remember,  shall  not  befall  you.' 
And  then — then,"  she  continued  scornfully,  'lie 
had  the  audacity  to  allude  to  that  money — the 
million  of  pounds — I  refused  to  loan  him  last 
March,  saying  he  expected  me  to  get  it  ready  for 
him  soon." 

"The  scoundrel !  The  infamous  wretch !  Dared 
he  write  you  all  that?"  I  asked,  growing  cold  and 
hot  by  turns. 

"Yes,  every  word  of  it,"  she  replied. 

"But,"  said  I,  becoming  more  alarmed,  "a 
threat's  expressed  in  his  letter;  don't  you  see 
there  is?" 

"Why,  of  course;  and  that  is  what  worries  me 
— makes  me  think,  as  Verona  does,  that  the  cap 
tain  has  failed  in  his  mission — in  other  words, 
been  found  out  by  the  Nana — and  is  now  per 
haps  in  deadly  peril." 

"Oh,  but  it  is  you,  princess,  7  am  thinking  of. 
He  threatens  you — you  yourself,  not  the  captain 
— that  is,  not  him  any  more  than  the  rest  of  us 
Europeans.  He  has  discovered  you  are  befriend 
ing  us,  and — my  God!  Should  there  be  a  uni- 


64  Zanee  Koorart. 

versal  rising  of  the  natives,  where  would  you  turn 
for  safety?" 

"I  ?"  she  exclaimed,  with  a  little  laugh.  "Oh, 
don't  bother  about  me,  captain.  I  am  not  afraid 
of  Dhundoo  Punt ;  if  worse  comes  to  worse,  I  have 
my  own  retainers  to  rely  upon — all  trusty  men, 
who,  if  it  was  demanded  of  them,  would  each  lay 
down  his  life  for  me." 

"But,"  I  gasped,  "you — you  surely  wouldn't 
stay  here  and  attempt  to  brave  him,  would  you  ?" 

"Certainly  not,  if  the  circumstances  didn't  war 
rant  it." 

"Ah,  pardon  me,  princess;  but  what  do  you 
mean?"  I  cried,  my  hair  fairly  standing  on  end; 
for  never  had  she  looked  to  me  more  lovely. 

"Simply  this,  Captain  Clermonte.  So  long  as 
you  and  your  friends  are  in  danger,  I  must  not 
desert  you.  And  I  fear — I  know,"  she  added,  with 
a  sight,  "that  you  are  menaced.  How  do  I  know  ? 
Because  my  servant,  Pyu  Yet,  overheard  some  su- 
bahdars  consulting  together  in  a  deserted  alley 
yesterday,  and  from  what  he  gleaned  of  their  con 
versation — he  could  not  catch  all  of  it,  he  said — 
evil  is  contemplated  here  in  Secrole  very  soon. 
The  Sepoys,  it  appears,  will  refuse  to  obey  you 
Englishmen  outright  some  day  when  on  parade ; 
but  what  they  will  further  do  1  can't  say,  for  Pyu 
Yet  was  not  able  to  learn  anything  more.  Hap 
pily,  however,  he  isn't  the  only  spy  in  my  service, 
and  I  hope  for  that  reason  to  discover  soon  what 
their  plans  are — in  part,  at  least — and  give  your 
people  knowledge  of  the  same,  so  they  can  be  pre 
pared  to  parry  the  blow  when  it  falls." 


A  Delicate  Mission.  65 

"But  you  should  be  all  the  more  thoughtful 
for  your  own  safety  then,"  I  exclaimed  in  anguish. 

"Oh,  I  am  not  afraid  yet  for  myself.  Captain 
Winslow  gives  me  the  most  concern  now.  I  fear 
I  have,  indirectly,  been  the  cause  of  his  trouble; 
and  I  feel  on  that  account  I  should  get  him  out 
of  it  if  I  can.  I  shall,  unless  he  sends  us  a  mes 
sage  in  a  few  days,  dispatch  Pyu  Yet  to  search  for 
him;  and,  furthermore,  have  him  ascertain,  if  he 
can,  whether  Dhundoo  Punt  has  really  discov 
ered  we  are  suspicious  of  him,  and  aiming  to  in 
tercept  his  designs." 

"Oh,  no,  no!  Don't— don't  think  of  it!"  I 
cried,  nearly  beside  myself.  "Why,  that  would  be 
madness,  to  show  Nana  Sahib  that  you  are  his 
avowed  enemy !  Should  trouble  come,  what  might 
not  happen  then  ?  No,  princess,  as  you  value  your 
life,  your  liberty — oh,  my  God !  as  you  value  your 
honor,  don't,  I  implore  you,  do  any  such  thing. 
Already  you  have  done  enough  for  us,  and  more. 
Why  not  be  content  with  that,  I  pray  you?" 

"Because,"  she  said,  tearfully,  "I  cannot,  and 
see  Verona's  grief;  I  cannot  and  know  of  the 
danger  you  are  all  in.  No,  if  I  should  leave  the 
captain  to  his  fate,  my  conscience  would  never  be 
at  ease.  And  I  fear  that  he — oh !  save  me,  Captain 
Clermonte,"  she  suddenly  cried,  throwing  up  her 
hands  wildly.  "Save  me !  Quick,  quick !" 

Hardly  had  she  made  her  appeal  before  my  arms 
were  about  her,  for,  owing  to  our  having  been 
walking  quite  close  to  the  river — she  next  to  it, 
as  it  chanced,  where  the  bank  was  very  steep  and 
several  yards  down — the  ground  on  which  she 
stood  had  given  way  and  would,  in  another  mo- 


66  Zanee  Kooran. 

ment,  have  precipitated  her  with  it  into  the 
water,  but  for  my  thus  opportunely  catching  her 
and,  instead,  bringing  her  safely  to  my  side. 

I  felt  her  breath  fan  my  cheek,  and  heard  the 
excited  beatings  of  her  heart,  so  near  was  her 
form  to  mine.  Happening  at  that  moment  to  meet 
her  eyes,  I  found  them  shining  like  stars  with 
gratitude;  they  seemed,  as  it  were,  to  flash  love- 
darts  into  my  very  soul. 

Therefore,  I  did  a  rash  thing;  I  forgot  myself 
and  kissed  her. 

"Oh,  forgive  me,  princess !  Forgive  me,"  I 
cried  regretfully,  and  dropping  upon  my  knees 
before  her  with  as  much  humility  as  if  she  had 
been  a  goddess,  I  tried  in  tones  which  trembled 
in  spite  of  me,  to  excuse  my  conduct,  by  telling 
her  how  I  had  feared  for  her  safety,  and  how  much 
I  had  longed  to  be  her  defender — her  knight,  her 
champion  ;  and  as  I  pleaded  I  felt  her  hand,  which 
I  still  retained,  tremble — nay,  pulsate  in  unison 
with  my  own. 

Owing  to  this,  I  became  emboldened  and  poured 
out  to  her  the  whole  of  my  long  pent-up  senti 
ments,  stealing  at  her,  the  while,  occasional 
glances,  when — ah,  could  it  be  true? — I  saw  the 
red  blood  waver  on  her  cheeks;  saw  even  the  tell 
tale  love-lights  gather  in  her  eyes.  Another  mo 
ment,  and — oh,  ravishing  sight ! — I  saw  her  melt 
into  a  perfection  of  glory — an  aurora  defying  de 
scription,  for  again  I  was  standing  erect  and  hold 
ing  her  in  my  arms — this  time  with  all  the  ten 
derness  of  an  angel — and  murmuring  to  her, 
ecstatically,  the  dream  of  my  new-found,  and  now 
fully  realized  happiness. 


A  Delicate  Mission.  67 

It  was  a  long  time  we  stood  there,  Zanee  Kooran 
and -I,  hand  clasped  in  hand,  and  talking  of  our 
selves.  For  when  love  has  once  established  a 
clear  course  between  two  souls,  the  current  of 
conversation  can  seldom  run  too  fast  or  too 
strong. 

Being  so  intensely  absorbed  in  each  other,  we 
failed  to  observe  any  one  near  us  until  we  were 
startled  by  a  girlish  voice  calling  out,  "Aha,  I've 
found  you  at  last,  have  I?" 

"Oh,  is  it  you,  Verona?"  asked  the  princess, 
with  a  smile. 

"Yes,  and  what  do  you  think  ?  The  captain  has 
come !" 

"He  has?"  we  both  exclaimed. 

"Yes,  Charlie  is  here,"  she  panted,  as  she  ap 
proached  us  excitedly.  "He's  come,  I  tell  you, 
and,  what's  best,  is  perfectly  safe  and  sound." 

"The  Lord  be  praised!"  murmured  Zanee 
Kooran  fervently.  "But,  my  dear  Verona,  I  fear 
you  are  fatigued — very  much  exhausted,  aren't 
you?"  she  inquired,  gently  disengaging  my  hand 
from  hers. 

"Oh,  I  can't  help  it,  princess,  the  captain's  re 
turn  has  upset  me — taken  me  so  by  surprise.  And 
then — why,  I've  had  an  awful  time  finding  you. 
Where  have  you  two  been  so  long,  anyway?" 

"Ahem !  When  did  you  .say  the  captain  ar 
rived?"  I  at  this  juncture  put  in. 

"Just  a  little  while  ago.  And  Colonel  Neill 
is  with  him.  They  both  wrote  us  several  times, 
but  all  their  letters  must  have  been  intercepted, 
the  same  as  ours,  rather,  none  of  which  reached 


68  Zanee  Kooran. 

them  after  the  first  batch;  and,  for  that  matter, 
only  one  of  our  telegrams." 

"Ha!  Doesn't  that  prove,  Captain  Clermonte, 
Dhundoo  Punt  has  his  spies  everywhere?"  asked 
Zanee  Kooran,  looking  at  me  significantly.  I 
made  her  no  response  further  than  by  shaking  my 
head  dubiously  and — with  a  sinking  heart. 

"Yes,  they  think  it  is  the  work  of  the  natives," 
Verona  in  the  meantime  rattled  on;  "and  Colonel 
Neill,  I  can  tell  you,  is  very  angry  about  it. 
Ugh !  If  the  Sepoys  get  him  after  them  once, 
they'll  wish  they  hadn't,  that's  all.  But  oh !  I've 
forgotten  to  tell  you;  we're  to  start — you,  Mr. 
Clermonte,  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Richerson,  Charlie 
and  myself — just  as  soon  as  we  can  make  ourselves 
ready,  for  Cawnpore.  The  Governor-general  has 
ordered  it;  yes,  and  he's  also  invested  the  colonel 
with  authority  to  arrest  Nana  Sahib  and  confine 
him  at  any  time  he  may  think  it  considerate  to  do 
so." 

"He  has  done  all  that?"  asked  the  princess,  in 
a  tone  of  surprise  and  disappointment. 

"Why,  yes,"  Verona  replied  in  a  matter-of-fact 
way.  "You  see,  Canning  kept  deferring  the 
thing  by  putting  Colonel  Neill  and  Charlie  off 
as  often  as  they  approached  or  petitioned  him  to 
give  them  or  some  one  else,  permission  to  ex 
amine  into  affairs  at  Cawnpore,  telling  them  that 
he  couldn't  bring  himself  to  believe  Nana  Sahib 
was  at  heart  unfriendly,  or  seeking  means  by 
which  to  overthrow  British  rule,  and  that  if  they 
would  only  wait  a  little  longer  they  would  see 
he  was  right;  but  it  seems  he  received  some  kind 
of  secret  tidings  from  the  vicinity  of  Cawnpore 


A  Delicate  Mission.  69 

or  Bithoor  a  few  days  ago,  of  such  an  alarming  na 
ture,  his  faith  in  Nana  Sahib  was  at  last  ter 
ribly  shaken.  Hence  the  reason  for  the  present  ap 
pointments,  there  being  no  other  officers  qualified, 
or  at  liberty,  or  something  of  that  sort,  for  him  to 
invest  with  such  an  important  mission." 

"Well,  I  must  say  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that," 
said  Zanee  Kooran,  with  a  sigh;  "I  regret,  ex 
ceedingly,  the  appointments  couldn't  have  fallen 
elsewhere.  Letting  matters  go  as  they  have,  is  a 
great  mistake." 

"But  why  in  the  world  will  you  ladies  have  to 
accompany  us?"  I  asked  of  the  captain's  wife, 
filled  with  a  feeling  of  exultation  for  a  moment 
as  I  thought  of  how  I  might  yet  obtain  a  chance  ,to 
throttle  the  Rajah  of  Bithoor — him  who  had  made 
us  all  this  trouble,  and  caused  the  Begaum,  now 
my  own  true  love  at  last,  so  much  worry. 

"Why,  so  you  will  have  good  protection — a 
staunch,  invincible  guard,"  Verona  replied.  "Isn't 
that  original  ?"  she  asked,  laughing.  "Oh,  but  it's 
perfectly  true,"  she  continued;  "that  is,  in  a 
sense.  You  see,  if  Lillian  and  I  are  along,  the 
natives — of  whom  those  in  some  districts  through 
which  we  shall  have  to  pass  are  reported  to  be  very 
uneasy — will  be  less  likely,  so  the  Governor-gen 
eral  and  Colonel  Neill  think,  to  molest  you 
officers ;  and  I  take  it  we  are  expected  to  escort  you 
to  Cawnpore  in  safety,  and — well,  just  as  soon  as 
we  can.  Accordingly,  with  your  consent,  Mr. 
Clermonte,  I  will  now  begin  the  exercise  of  my 
authority  by  reminding  you  that  you  are  wanted  at 
headquarters." 

"Thank  you,  Mrs.  Winslow,"  said  I,  bowing  to 


7o  Zanee  Kooran. 

her;  "may  the  pleasure  of  having  such  devoted  at 
tendants  make  me  always  as  mindful  of  my  duty 
on  our  journey  as  1  am  now."  And  with  another 
bow  to  her,  and  then  one  to  the  princess,  on  whoso 
brow  I  saw,  to  my  vexation,  a  troubled,  perplexed 
look,  I  set  out  for  the  commandant's  ollice,  roundly 
cursing,  in  my  mind,  this  enterprise  which  was  go 
ing  to  take  me  so  far  away  from  my  betrothed.  For 
now  we  understood  each  other,  1  would  fain  have 
remained  where  she  was,  ready  to  protect  her  should 
the  need  arise;  and  that  it  would  arise  was  becom 
ing  more  apparent  every  day,  every  hour.  Indeed, 
almost  the  first  words  Captain  Winslow  greeted 
me  with  were,  that  the  Sepoys  at  Meerut  had  mur 
dered  their  officers,  together  with  all  the  European 
men,  women  and  children  they  could  find,  and 
were  now  marching  upon  Delhi !  The  dispatch 
had  only  just  arrived,  and  details  were  lacking; 
but  it  was  evidently  true,  and  more,  that  the  north 
west  provinces  were  in  a  state  of  intense  excite 
ment,  and  that  all  India,  from  the  Himalayas  to 
the  sea,  was  on  the  eve  of  a  great  rebellion. 

Cawnpore,  however,  still  remained  quiet,  the 
Rajah  of  Bithoor  more  friendly  than  ever. 

There  were  also  other  disappointments  in  store 
for  me  that  day.  While  the  return  of  the  captain 
brought  me  letters  from  friends  at  home,  not  one 
did  I  receive  from  father;  and  having  now  been 
in  the  East  over  a  year  and  a  half,  it  was  time, 
I  thought,  he  wrote  me,  if  ever.  The  fact  was 
there  was  not  a  thing  said  of  him  in  the  epistles 
I  did  get,  further  than  that  he  was  "nowadays  up 
to  his  chin  in  Parliamentary  affairs;"  from  which 
I  could  infer,  if  I  liked,  that  he  was  by  no  means 


A  Delicate  Mission.  71 

taking  my  absence  very  seriously  to  heart ;  at  any 
rate,  not  nearly  enough  so  for  me  to  entertain 
hopes  yet,  if  ever,  of  securing  his  forgiveness. 

Colonel  Eicherson  was  to  relinquish  his  tem 
porary  office  as  commandant  to  Colonel  Neill  at 
once,  and  we  were  to  start  with  the  waning  of  day, 
so  as  to  profit  by  the  coolness  of  evening,  that 
season  of  the  year  having  now  arrived  when  it 
was  exceedingly  hot.  Much  did  each  of  us  find  to 
do,  therefore,  and  alas,  all  too  soon  the  moment 
for  parting  came. 

This,  indeed,  was  a  touching  scene,  and  one  I 
have  never  forgotten. 

With  the  exception  of  Zanee  Kooran,  Colonel 
Neill  alone  understood  for  what  purpose  we  were 
departing.  Accordingly  his  leave-taking  of  us  was 
more  than  affectionate;  it  was  with  the  utmost 
concern  he  bade  us  adieu  and  wished  us  success. 
Indeed,  he  grasped  my  hand  so  warmly  and  gave 
me  such  a  hearty  God-speed,  I  found  the  courage 
to  tell  him  of  my  love  for  the  princess;  also,  how 
matters  stood  between  her  and  myself.  I  asked 
him  to  see  she  came  to  no  harm  from  the  Sepoys, 
and  especially  through  Nana  Sahib,  during  my 
absence. 

"Certainly,  Captain  Clermonte,"  he  replied,  giv 
ing  my  hand  a  grip  that  made  me  wince;  "I  am 
only  too  glad  you  have  spoken.  The  Governor-gen 
eral,  allow  me  to  say,  raised  my  expectations  in  you, 
and  I  find  you  are  all,  and  more  than  he  made 
you  out  to  be;  and  the  Begaum,  of  course,  com 
mands  my  highest  esteem,  and  always  will,  God 
bless  you  both !  Don't  fear  of  her  coming  to  harm 
while  you  are  away,  and  I  aju  here  alive." 


72  Zanee  Kooran 

And  when,  a  moment  later,  I  informed  him  of 
what  her  servant,  Pyu  Yet,  had  overhead  from  the 
subahdars  the  day  before,  he  thanked  me  with  a 
significance  of  tone  and  a  flash  of  the  eye  not  to 
be  mistaken;  I  felt  then  he  would  under  no  con 
dition  forget  his  promise  nor  neglect  his  duty. 

Of  the  rest  I  need  not  speak — further  than  to  say 
that  when  I  took  leave  of  Zanee  Kooran,  she, 
among  other  things,  said: 

"Dearest  Henry,  it  is  far  from  my  wishes  to  give 
you  cause  for  needless  worry  and  alarm;  but,  be 
lieve  me,  I  would  readily  yield  up  all  my  wealth 
could  you  abide  here.  Where  you  are  going  not 
only  have  the  natives  been  robbed  by  Dalhousie, 
but  of  late  there  have  been  instances  where  caste 
has  been  snubbed — practically  ignored;  and  that, 
you  know,  is  an  unpardonable  offense  in  the  eyes 
of  my  people.  Therefore,  you  cannot  be  too  care 
ful,  and  never  too  prudent.  Remember,  the  Sepoys, 
when  once  aroused,  are  perfectly  heartless,  and, 
what  is  worse,  treacherous  to  the  core.  Should 
they  rise  at  Cawnpore — as  they  have  at  Meerut — 
and  obtain  the  upper  hands  there,  they  won't  be 
likely  to  show  you  Europeans  the  least  mercy. 
And,  Henry,  Dhundoo  Punt  is  naturally  more 
cruel,  crafty  and  perfidious  than  any  of  the  others. 
Hence,  beware  of  him  particularly;  if  not  for 
your  sake,  then  for  mine. 

"Ah,  I  am  so  sorry  he  has  his  freedom;  you — 
you  don't  know,  Henry,  what  a  demon  that  man  is. 
I  haven't  told  you  all  contained  in  his  letter  of 
last  night.  He — he  sent  me  an  offer  of  marriage. 
It  was  probably  to  get  that  money — the  million  of 
pounds.  You  know?" 


A  Delicate  Mission.  73 

<fYes,  darling,"  I  whispered,  kissing  her  ten 
derly,  and  resolving  that  if  ever  the  opportunity 
did  present  itself,  I  would  pay  the  Rajah  of  Bi- 
thoor  back  in  his  own  coin,  and  that  with  double — 
aye!  quadruple  interest.  I  trembled,  neverthe 
less,  lest  she  should  come  to  harm  through  him 
while  I  was  away  from  Benares. 


74  2anee  Kooran. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A    SERIOUS    STATE    OF    AFFAIRS. 

WHEN  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Richerson,  Captain  and 
Mrs.  Winslow,  and  I,  attended  by  an  escort  of  six 
Madras  Fusileers,  also  five  servants — two  belong 
ing  to  the  captain,  two  to  the  colonel,  and  one 
to  myself — sixteen  of  us  in  all — set  out  from 
Secrole  that  afternoon,  it  was  with  the  expecta 
tion  of  reaching  our  destination  in  comparatively 
short  order.  We  certainly  saw  no  reason  why  we 
should  not,  for,  while  it  was  true  that  hardships 
lay  before  us,  we  hardly  looked  to  encounter  seri 
ous  difficulties ;  and  then,  Cawnpore  is  only  two 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  above  Benares. 

As  it  turned  out,  however,  we  were  compelled 
through  the  heat  and  dryness  of  the  season,  and 
especially  the  unfriendliness  of  the  natives,  to 
stop,  turn  aside,  retrace  our  steps  and  make  such 
wide  detours,  often,  and  oftener,  as  we  advanced, 
it  took  us  not  ten,  nor  twelve,  nor  even  fifteen 
days,  but  nearly  the  whole  of  twenty-five  to  per 
form  the  journey ! 

Hence,  the  further  we  went,  the  more  were  Zanee 
Kooran's  prognostications  made  manifest  that  a 


A  Serious  State  of  Affairs.         75 

grave  situation  confronted  the  Government.  We 
were  told  by  the  friendly  natives  and  the  few  Euro 
peans  we  met  and  conferred  with  from  time  to 
time,  that  not  only  was  the  rebellion  in  Oude  as 
suming  larger  and  more  appalling  proportions, 
but  at  Meerut,  Delhi,  and  many  places  of  lesser 
importance,  the  most  horrible  scenes  had  already 
been,  and  were  still  being  enacted. 

Therefore,  having  to  exercise,  as  we  did,  the 
utmost  caution,  the  sharpest  vigilance,  lest  our  en 
deavors  should  come  to  naught,  it  was  no  surprise 
to  me  that  we  occasionally  despaired  of  our  mis 
sion's  ever  succeeding:  I  marveled,  rather,  that 
we  bore  up  at  all.  You  see,  the  only  ray  of  hope 
we  had  during  those  darksome  days  of  unexpected 
backsets  and  privations,  trials  and  dangers,  was 
the  knowledge  that  Cawnpore  still  remained  loyal, 
and  in  all  probability  would.  What  a  faint  ray  of 
hope  it  was,  however! 

It  consisted  chiefly  of  how  Sir  Hugh  Wheeler 
had  lately  received,  at  his  special  request,  a  force 
from  Luc-know  three  hundred  strong,  one-sixth 
of  whom  were  Europeans  of  the  Thirty-second 
Regiment,  and  at  the  same  time  as  many  more 
men,  with  two  guns,  from  the  Rajah  of  Bithoor; 
in  all,  six  hundred  troops,  with  two  guns. 

This,  it  was  said,  would  enable  him,  if  neces 
sary,  to  disarm  the  Sepoys  at  Cawnpore,  who, 
though  they  had  thus  far  evinced  no  sign  of  un 
friendliness,  could  not  but  be  more  or  less  affected 
by  so  much  uneasiness  and  disquietude  as  pre 
vailed  around  them;  but,  best  of  all,  it  set  at  rest 
?ny  fear  of  Xana  Sahib's  want  of  friend=hip  and 
integrity  for  the  future.  For  would  he  weaken  his 


76  Zanee  Koorari. 

own  forces  to  strengthen  those  of  an  enemy 
whom  he  contemplated  to  crush?  Certainly  not. 
Originating  with  any  one,  such  a  thing  would  be 
absurd,  and  the  Rajah,  it  must  be  remembered, 
was  nobody's  fool.  Moreover,  his  doing  as  he  had 
would  tend  to  cow  the  native  troops  and  preserve 
allegiance  among  them  as  nothing  else  could; 
which,  too,  if  deeds  of  vengeance  were  meditated, 
would  hardly  be  in  keeping  with  them.  It  would 
then  be  desirable  to  inflame  and  excite  the  Sepoys 
to  the  furthest  degree;  not  to  awe  and  frighten 
them  into  abject  submission. 

All  this  failed  to  convince  us,  however;  on  the 
contrary,  it  alarmed  us  as  not  before  had  we  been 
alarmed.  It  opened  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  Sir 
Hugh  Wheeler  considered  his  situation  critical  in 
the  extreme;  that  he  calculated  Nana  Sahib  was 
aiming  to  strike  him  unawares  and  bring  him 
to  his  mercy  at  a  moment's  notice.  Aye,  that  he 
regarded  his  gift  of  three  hundred  men  and  two 
guns  as  a  blind;  those  troops  being  without  doubt 
his  most  trusty  adherents,  who  would  prevail  upon 
Sir  Hugh's  Sepoys  to  rise  to  a  man  when  the 
proper  time  should  come. 

But  what  if  we  could  reach  Cawnpore  before  any 
such  calamity  occurred?  Might  we  not  be  able 
to  give  warning  and  perhaps  save  the  garrison? 
Ah,  there  was  our  hope.  Hence  the  renewed  energy 
with  which  we  breasted  the  future  despite  un 
known  roads,  the  adverse  elements,  the  tortures  in 
flicted  upon  us  both  night  and  day  by  myriads  of 
stinging  and  biting  insects,  the  antagonism  of 
the  natives,  and  above  all  the  savage  wild  beasts 
and  poisonous  serpents  of  the  jungles. 


A  Serious  State  of  Affairs.         77 

We  were  on  the  road,  from  the  afternoon  of 
Monday,  May  llth,  till  the  morning  of  Friday, 
June  5th,  before  we  came  in  sight  of  the  spires 
and  minarets  of  our  destination — a  sight,  alas! 
we  never  forgot. 

Cawnpore,  at  the  time  of  which  I  write,  had 
"been  an  important  military  station  of  Her 
Majesty's  rule  in  India  for  the  better  part  of 
a  century,  it  having  been  selected  for  the  occu 
pancy  of  troops  in  1777.  It  is  on  the  Eiver 
Ganges,  of  course,  and  a  boat,  following  the  stream, 
would  cover  a  thousand  miles  in  going  from^  Cal 
cutta  thither. 

As  we  found  it,  it  was  a  large,  straggling  town, 
extending  nearly  five  miles  along  the  river,  on  a 
sandy  plain,  intensely  hot  and  dusty,  and  possess 
ing  no  fort  or  other  buildings  such  as  were  pro 
vided  for  the  safety  of  Europeans  at  Mirzapoor, 
Allahabad,  and  even  smaller  places  along  our 
route. 

To  be  explicit,  it  chanced  that  we  entered  its 
environs  first — the  outskirts  of  the  old  town — 
that  part  occupied  by  the  natives  principally,  and 
which,  though  large  and  mostly  well-built,  con 
tained  plenty  of  poverty  and  squalidness  to  offset 
the  pomp  and  show. 

Here  we  were  urging  our  horses  along,  happy 
in  the  thought  our  journey  was  so  nearly  ended, 
and  thankful  enough  we  had  pulled  through  it 
safe  and  sound — that,  too,  without  having  had 
our  one  faint  hope  blasted,  when  suddenly  the 
colonel,  who  rode  a  little  in  advance  of  us,  was 
accosted  by  a  Hindu  of  the  higher  caste — an 
Ameldar  (tax-collector) — who,  havijg  inquired  of 


78  Zanee  Kooran. 

him  whither  we  were  bound  and  for  what  purpose, 
said: 

"Sahib,  if  I  were  you  I  would  proceed  no  further 
with  my  friends ;  I  would  turn  back  at  once." 

"Turn  back,  nigger?"  exclaimed  Eicherson. 
"What !  Turn  back  when  we've  a  passport  to  go 
where  we  please?" 

"Yes,  sahib;  even  so,"  answered  the  Ameldar, 
perfectly  passive  and  humble.  "As  it  is,  it 
would  be  folly — madness  for  you  to  think  of  ap 
proaching  the  cantonments.  You  could  not  reach 
them,  anyway,  for  the  Sepoys  have  risen — are 
plundering  and  burning,  and  have  been  all  the 
morning.  If  you  don't  believe  it,  look  at  the 
smoke."  He  pointed  to  a  gray  cloud  in  the  sky 
at  the  westward,  which  we  had  failed  to  observe 
before.  "Ah,  sahib,"  he  earnestly  continued,  "re 
ceive  my  advice  as  that  of  a  friend,  and  go  back 
— all  of  you.  If  you  don't — if  you  keep  on — out 
there,  you  will  be  murdered.  I  know  you  will. 
Even  here  you  are  not  safe.  The  whole  city  is  in 
an  uproar,  and  you  take  your  lives  in  your  hands 
if  you  go  a  step  further." 

There  was  no  mistaking  his  manner;  it  was  too 
sincere  for  that.  So  this  was  our  reward — for 
all  tbose  weary,  weary  days  of  travel,  painstaking 
effort  and  uncertainty.  This  the  conclusive  proof 
— tbe  clinching  argument  that  few,  if  any,  parts 
of  India  were  exempt  from  the  evils  attending  the 
spirit  of  disaffection.  For  now  the  Sepoys  of 
Cawnpore  had  mutinied — those  who  had  been 
pointed  out  to  us  stood  in  the  greatest  fear  of  so 
doing — it  was  only  too  apparent  that  the  same 
would  occur,  not  only  at  minor  stations  of  ad- 


A  Serious  State  of  Affairs.         79 

joining  provinces  or  districts,  but  at  those  all  the 
way  down  the  Ganges — at  Allahabad,  Mirzapoor, 
Benares  even;  in  which  case,  the  thought  of  the 
dangers  that  would  then  beset  Zanee  Kooran  nearly 
deprived  me  of  my  breath,  my  strength,  my  rea 
son. 

"When  did  you  say  the  revolt  broke  out  ?"  asked 
Eicherson  anxiously. 

"It  began,  sahib,  at  midnight,"  the  Ameldar  an 
swered. 

"And  General  Wheeler — what  of  him  ?" 

"He,  sahib,  had  been  expecting  it  for  a  num 
ber  of  days.  And  for  that  reason  had  collected  his 
friends  and  the  Europeans  all  into  one  place,  round 
which  intrenchments  have  been  thrown  up." 

"What !  Haven't  the  Sepoys  attacked  him 
yet?" 

"No,  and  I  don't  think  they  will  at  present; 
leastwise  I  have  been  told  that  they  are  going 
to  march  away — to  Nawabgunge,  I  believe  it 
is." 

"Ha!     What  is  that  for?" 

"I  don't  know,  sahib,  unless" — and  here  the 
Ameldar  lowered  his  voice,  lest  any  of  his  people 
in  the  street  there  should  hear  him — "unless  it  is  to 
meet  Dhundoo  Punt." 

"Meet  him?"  repeated  the  colonel  in  well- 
feigned  astonishment;  "meet  him?  Why,  I 
thought  he  was  at  Bithoor.  Is  he  going  to  join 
the  rebels  then  ?" 

"Ah,  sahib,  it  appears  he  has  been  in  league 
with  them  all  along." 

"But — great  powers !  Didn't  he  furnish  Gen 
eral  Wheeler  three  hundred  men,  with  two  guns  ?" 


So  Zanee  Kooraft. 

"That,  sahib,  was  merely  a  blind.  Those  were 
his  most  faithful  followers.  Dhundoo  Punt,  let 
me  tell  you,  would  help  no  European;  he  hates 
them  too  much  for  that ;  he  hates  them  as  a  Hindu 
never  hated  before.  He  has  cause,  too,  for  they 
have  robbed  him.  No,  he  is  not  aiming  to  help 
them,  but  is  rather  seeking  means  of  vengeance, 
and  as  your  people  here  are  first  in  his  path — 
But  pardon  me,  sahib ;  I  can  tell  you  no  more.  I 
dare  not.  What  I  have  already  said,  if  known  to 
the  Nana,  might  cost  me  my  life.  So,  I  can  only 
repeat,  do  as  I  have  told  you;  turn  back — every 
one  of  you.  Eide  hard — fast.  Perhaps  you  can 
then  escape;  may  Brahma  will  it  so  anyway." 

He  had  hardly  finished  speaking  when,  as  if 
heard  by  the  deity  he  had  implored,  savage  cries 
rent  the  air — cries  from  the  more  densely  popu 
lated  part  of  the  city;  and  a  moment  later  these 
were  accompanied  by  the  rattle  of  musketry. 

Thus  it  was  made  manifest  that  a  reign  of 
murder  and  rapine  had  begun;  and  so,  it  being 
apparently  our  only  alternative,  we  turned  our 
faces  once  more  from  Cawnpore,  filled  with  feel 
ings  of  dismay  and  regret  such  as  we  had  at  no 
time  been  filled  with  before. 

"Gad,  'twould  be  a  bitter  dose,  I  say,  if  we 
weren't  used  to  it,"  remarked  Captain  Winslow 
at  length,  as  we  rode  along. 

"Well,  what's  to  be  done  about  it?"  I  inquired 
dejectedly. 

"Done?"  echoed  the  colonel — and  he  spoke  like 
a  man  suddenly  roused  from  deep  slumber;  "done? 
Why,  we'll  take  a  little  jaunt  out  into  the  coun 
try  and  so  up  toward  the  cantonments,  to  see 


A  Serious  State  of  Affairs.         81 

for  ourselves  whether  we  have  been  fooled  or 
not/' 

"Then  we  had  better  make  haste  slowly/'  said 
Captain  Winslow.  "The  heat  promises  to  be 
everything  it  usually  is,  and  already  our  horses  are 
pretty  well  jaded." 

"Yes,  and  we  had  also  better  make  sure  of  our 
arms/'  I  cautioned;  "if  the  Sepoys  have  risen, 
there's  no  telling  when  we'll  have  occasion  to  use 
them." 

"That  is  so,"  said  the  colonel  in  milder  tones. 
"Men,"  turning  to  the  Madras  Fusileers,  "keep 
your  eyes  open,  and  have  your  muskets  ready. 
And  you,  ladies/'  he  added  with  a  smile,  "be  sure 
to  stay  inside  the  lines." 

"Oh !  as  if  we  wouldn't — at  this  time  of  all 
times,"  answered  his  wife. 

Once  in  the  country  again,  we  struck  out  to  the 
southwest,  and  thence  directly  west,  keeping  all 
the  time  on  the  edge  of  the  suburbs  of  the  city, 
but  avoiding  as  much  as  possible,  every  human  be 
ing,  every  habitation.  Here  the  rays  of  the  sun 
beat  down  upon  us  with  such  cruel,  relentless 
fury,  they  seemed  to  absorb  the  very  moisture  in 
our  bodies. 

At  no  time  before  had  we  tried  to  travel  at  mid 
day;  and  now,  not  only  was  old  Sol  mounting 
to  the  zenith,  but  scarce  a  breath  of  air  was  stir 
ring  to  make  a  breeze.  The  further  we  went  the 
deeper  we  waded  into  this  ocean  of  heat  which, 
while  it  well-nigh  .suffocated  us,  caused  our 
steeds  to  stagger  beneath  our  weights  until  we 
feared  lest  they  should  drop  upon  the  burning 
sand  never  to  rise.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  de- 


82  Zanee  Kooran. 

licious  shade  of  the  mangoes  and  a  few  other 
trees,  that  manage  to  flourish  somehow  through 
out  the  longest  droughts,  I  believe  they  would  have 
succumbed,  and  we  with  them. 

Thanks  to  those  oases,  however,  and  the  anxiety 
uppermost  in  our  minds,  we  made  that  last  painful 
detour  of  our  journey  without  a  mishap.  Sus 
pense,  as  it  were,  defied  the  sun;  expectation  sur 
vived  the  heat. 

Seemingly,  -an  eon  of  agony  was  endured  by  us 
ere  we  reached  the  eminence  whence  we  could  see 
the  cantonments  and  the  European  quarters.  This 
being  a  sort  of  a  bluff  or  hillock,  we  were  at  last 
able  to  discern  nearly  everything — the  series  of 
cantonments,  within  the  limits  of  which  was  a 
fine  race-course,  a  broad,  beautiful  parade-ground 
which  lay  directly  in  front  of  us,  the  barracks  and 
other  military  buildings,  together  with  several 
hundred  bungalows,  which  had  been  the  homes  of 
English  officers.  Alas,  the  majority  of  them  were 
smouldering  ruins.  Among  those  which  did  re 
main  intact,  however,  were  some  that  for  grandeur 
and  architectural  excellence,  looked  equal  to  any 
of  the  lordly  residences  I  had  in  mind  at  home. 
Nor  was  this  all.  Flanking  the  parade-ground, 
and  where  there  had  been  a  long  line  of  those 
palatial  bungalows,  was  a  grand  promenade  and 
fashionable  drive,  with  well-kept  orchards,  groves, 
gardens  and  lawns. 

The  scene  would  have  been  to  us  one  of  enchant 
ment,  but  for  the  work  of  the  despoilers'  hand, 
and  also  that  parallel  with  the  river,  which  flowed 
some  distance  beyond,  we  could  see  the  Sepoys 
marching.  They  had  formed  in  column  by  com- 


A  Serious  State  of  Affairs.         83 

panics  and  were  fully  accoutered,  all  their  officers 
being  mounted.  We  were  informed  later  that 
everything  in  the  equestrian  line  had  been  taken 
by  them,  even  to  the  beasts  of  burden  and  the 
favorite  riding  horses  of  the  English.  Therefore, 
they  made  an.  imposing  show — a  goodly  brigade, 
in  fact,  their  number  being  not  less  than  three 
thousand ! 

Having  plundered  and  burned  for  twelve  con 
secutive  hours,  they  seemed  to  have  tired  some 
what  of  their  work  of  senseless  destruction,  and 
were  now  setting  out  upon  their  march  to  Nawab- 
gunge ;  that  is,  taking  it  for  granted  the  Ameldar 
had  told  us  the  truth,  which,  as  history  will  show, 
he  did. 

We  had  arrived  at  our  point  of  observation  just 
as  the  last  of  them  were  passing  the  parade- 
ground,  and,  not  to  mention  the  vigorous  beating 
of  drums  and  blaring  of  horns  of  various  kinds, 
there  rose  from  hundreds  of  brazen  throats  howl- 
ings  and  hootings — all  given  in  the  spirit  of  spite 
and  derision.  So  powerful  was  the  cadence  and 
harmonious  at  times,  even  at  that  distance — a 
mile,  nearly — we  could  catch  strains  of  what  was 
shouted,  which,  in  substance,  ran  like  this: 

"Ho !  Ho  ! — Bandclioot  (a  designation  of  the 
utmost  contempt).  We  have  loaded  our  guns 
for  the  last  time,  and  we  tore  the  fatted  paper 
with  gloves  on  our  fingers!  Wallah,  Wallah, 
Bandchoot !  We  will  obey  you  no  more !"  ' ,  /-"  yL__ 

These  epitaphs  were  hurled  at  the  central  part  \  £/'-•'. 
of  the  parade-ground.     At  any  rate,  we  took  it 
they  were,  for  there,  from  a  tall  flagstaff,  waved 
the  Union  Jack  gloriously,  and,  as  always,  with 


84  Zanee  Kooran. 

undaunted  pride;  while  beneath  it  a  long  line  of 
intrenchments — in  form  very  nearly  a  parallelo 
gram — had  been  thrown  up,  and  along  this,  at 
intervals,  were  embrasures,  out  of  which  peeped 
the  mouths  of  cannon  in  grim  silence.  Back  of 
the  ordnance,  as  well  as  elsewhere  inside  the  in 
trenchments,  stood  scores  of  our  countrymen,  every 
one  of  whom  seemed  intent  on  watching  the  re 
ceding  Sepoys.  Well  they  might  be,  for,  though 
the  fort  looked  formidable  enough,  it  was  really 
very  weak. 

Not  only  did  it  occupy  level  ground,  but  if  it 
ever  came  to  fighting,  the  earthworks  alone  must 
be  relied  upon,  save  where  certain  buildings  had 
been  brought  into  the  line  of  defense.  These, 
happily,  were  of  stone,  and  made  a  very  strong  wall 
as  far  as  they  went ;  moreover,  they  were  accessible 
to  the  defenders  for  whatever  purpose  desired. 
Other  buildings  of  stone  also  stood  inside  the 
lines,  as  well  as  some  wooden  ones.  Hence  it  was 
apparent  that  shelter  enough,  if  not  proper  pro 
tection,  existed  for  all  who  were  huddled  there. 

"Well,  I  think  the  Ameldar  told  us  the  truth; 
I  can't  see  that  any  fighting  has  taken  place,"  I 
remarked. 

"No,"  said  Captain  Winslow.  "No,  the  rascals 
are  biding  their  time ;  they  think  General  Wheeler 
is  at  their  mercy,  and — gad,  not  till  the  Rajah  of 
Bithoor  has  come  to  direct  them,  will  they  attack 
him." 

"I  believe  it,  Charlie,"  assented  the  colonel; 
"yes,  I  believe  you  are  right.  And  let  the  Nana 
come,  who  knows  how  many  Hindus  there  may  be  ? 
Great  powers !  perhaps  thrice  three  thousand  will 


A  Serious  State  of  Affairs.         85 

then  assemble  to  take  Sir  Hugh.  His  means  of 
defense,  too,  are  so  inadequate !  Ah,  Lill,"  giving 
his  wife  an  affectionate  glance,  "1  wish  you  and 
Mrs.  Winslow  were  somewhere  else  now.  It  is 
going  to  be  a  pretty  tough  place,  I  am  afraid,  for 
you  down  there." 

"You  think  of  venturing  in,  then?" 

"Yes,  we  must,  Lill.  Where  else  can  we  go? 
Moreover,  it  is  evident  that  Sir  Hugh  will  be 
besieged;  and  in  that  case  he  can't  receive  too 
much  succor.  To  be  sure,  we  don't  know  how  well 
he  is  provisioned  and  the  like ;  but  now  the  way  is 
open  to  us" — (scarcely  a  Sepoy  was  then  in  sight) 
— "it  is  our  place  to  report  to  him  for  duty  at 
once. 

"But  before  doing  so  it  strikes  me  that  some 
one  should  be  dispatched  down  the  river  with  an 
account  of  affairs  here.  Don't  you  think  so  ?"  he 
inquired,  turning  to  Charlie  and  me. 

"Certainly,  sir,"  replied  the  captain.  "Tele 
graphic  communications  may  have  already  been 
severed ;  if  not — gad,  then  they  soon  will  be." 

"Yes,  some  one  should  go  by  all  means,"  said  I ; 
"but  who?" 

"That  is  a  problem,"  he  mused.  "Neither  of 
you  can  very  well  be  spared,  and  I  of  course  must 
remain." 

"Why  not  wait  and  consult  with  the  general 
about  it?"  suggested  his  wife. 

"I  am  afraid  to  do  it;  it  is  too  risky.  No  mes 
senger,  you  see,  may  have  been  sent  yet,  and  if 
we  waited  till  then  the  Sepoys  might  come  back 
ard  make  the  starting  of  one  impossible." 


86  Zanee  Kooran. 

"Sahib,  why  couldn't  you  send  us?"  asked  one 
of  the  Fusileers. 

"You  ?  Why,  I  hadn't  thought  of  you,  my  fine 
fellow.  Would  you  be  willing  to  undertake  it?" 
he  asked,  smiling. 

"Yes,  sahib,  if  you  will  let  my  comrades  go 
with  me." 

This  the  colonel — and  all  of  us,  for  the  mat 
ter — received  at  first  as  a  clever  ruse  on  the 
Fusileer's  part  by  which  he  and  his  friends  could 
extract  themselves  from  an  unpleasant  situation ; 
but  on  coming  to  reason  with  the  man  a  little,  we 
changed  our  opinion.  He  pointed  out  to  us  how 
there  were  likely  to  be  not  only  greater  hardships, 
but  more  perils  to  encounter  than  hen  we  came 
up  the  river,  since  in  his  belief  the  Sepoys  had 
by  this  time  mutinied  pretty  much  all  the  way  down 
the  Ganges.  Therefore,  by  sending  them  all,  a 
message  would  stand  a  better  chance  of  going 
through  than  if  intrusted  to  one  Fusileer,  who 
might  fall  sick,  get  disabled  or  killed. 

"Go,  then,"  said  the  colonel,  giving  him  a  brief 
note,  which  he  had  written ;  "go,  my  good  fellows, 
and  may  God  help  you  to  bring  Sir  Hugh  assist 
ance  soon." 

Ah,  they  were  good  fellows — those  Madras 
Fusileers,  and  we  felt  we  could  trust  them  im 
plicitly.  Nevertheless,  it  was  not  without  many 
misgivings  that  we  saw  them  depart,  for  on  the 
outcome  of  their  undertaking  our  fate — aye,  ajid 
that  of  hundreds  of  others — was  perhaps  hinged ! 

We  watched  them  till  out  of  sight,  then  reso 
lutely  started  for  the  intrenchments,  which  we 


A  Serious  State  of  Affairs.         87 

reached  in  safety,  and  without  meeting  a  single 
Sepoy. 

Here  General  Wheeler  came  out  himself  to  greet 
us,  attended  by  some  of  his  chief  officers;  among 
whom  was  the  chaplain  of  the  station — Mr.  Mon-1 
crieff,  a  brave,  true-hearted  man,  who  not  only, 
in  theory,  pointed  the  way  to  Heaven,  but,  in  his 
daily  life,  most  emphatically  followed  it; — also, 
Colonel  Allan  Scott,  a  gallant  Highlander,  and 
Colonel  Arthur  Banning,  of  the  Heavy  Artillery. 

These  officers  assisted  the  ladies  to  dismount, 
and  forthwith  conducted  them  inside  the  forti 
fications,  where  they  were  cordially  received  by  the 
women  of  the  garrison. 

But  the  colonel,  Charlie  and  I  had  to  wait  out 
side  and  undergo  a  sort  of  an  examination  from 
Sir  Hugh;  for  he  was  very  anxious  to  know  who 
we  were,  where  from,  and  what  our  business  was. 

When  the  colonel  had  told  him  how  we  were 
after  Nana  Sahib,  he  said: 

"Your  bird  has  flown,  sir.  The  Rajah  left  us 
some  time  ago.  You  will  have  to  push  on  to 
Bithoor,  if  you  want  to  find  him;  and  that,  you 
know,  is  eight  miles  above  here." 

"Bather  a  risky  undertaking — wouldn't  it  be?" 
the  colonel  inquired,  with  a  significant  smile. 

"Well,  rather,  I  reckon." 

"Colonel,  who  sent  you  on  this  business,  any 
way?"  he  asked. 

"It  was  a  special  order  from  the  Governor- 
general — an  order,  sir,  that  could  have  been 
granted  weeks  ago.  Certain  information,  you  see, 
came  to  our  notice  last  March.  Y<>]].  on  tho 
strength  of  that  my  frlcrd 


88  Zanee  Kooran. 

low,  visited  Canning  and  tried,  personally,  to 
convince  him  of  the  necessity  of  having  Nana 
Sahib  taken  into  custody  without  delay;  he  was 
even  assisted  by  the  regular  commandant  of 
Benares,  Colonel  Neill,  who  happened  at  that  time 
to  be  in  Calcutta.  But  His  Lordship,  little  dream 
ing  the  case  was  so  urgent,  kept  deferring  it 
until " 

"Now  it's  too  late,"  Sir  Hugh  cried  bitterly. 
"Ah,  colonel,  I  thought  sometimes  I'd  arrest  the 
Rajah  myself;  should  probably  have  done  so  but 
for  fear  of  the  consequences.  He  is  held  in  high 
esteem  by  the  natives,  you  know,  especially  by  those 
of  this  province;  therefore,  to  have  meddled  with 
him  might  have  resulted  in  a  speedy  rupture,  and 
that  I  desired,  if  possible,  to  avoid.  Of  course,  I 
made  a  mistake  in  letting  him  go.  The  revolt 
shows  he  exercised  his  influence  over  the  Sepoys 
in  every  way  to  further  his  own  ends;  and  those, 
gentlemen,  are  meant  to  terminate,  not  only  in 
my  overthrow,  but  the  overthrow  ci  British  rule  in 
India ! 

"Yes,  I  made  a  mistake  in  letting  him  go ;  taking 
him  in  hand  couldn't  have  made  matters  worse 
than  they  are,  or  will  be.  But  the  reports,  you 
see,  weren't  confirmed  while  he  was  here." 

"And  what  were  they?"  asked  the  colonel. 

"Why,  haven't  you  heard?  All  the  country 
hereabouts  is  in  a  state  of  open  rebellion.  It 
broke  out  at  Meerut  nearly  a  month  ago,  and  the 
next  day  made  its  appearance  in  Delhi — you  know 
that,  do  you  not?  Well,  ever  since  it  has  been 
spreading,  and  I  doubt  now  if  there  is  a  station 
between  Lucknow  and  Allahabad  not  invested, 


A  Serious  State  of  Affairs.         89 

There  is  no  telling  how  many  people  have  perished, 
and  the  suffering  endured  will  never  be  known.  It 
will  take  a  large  force  to  crush  the  affair,  and 
it  may  be  years  before  order  is  again  restored* 
Only  day  before  yesterday  a  friendly  native — 
a  poor,  half-starved  wretch — reached  here  by  way 
of  Bithoor.  He  came  purposely  to  warn  us. 
Happily,  however,  our  suspicions  had  already  been 
awakened,  and  we  were  preparing  the  best  that 
circumstances  allowed  to  repel  the  Nana  when  he 
arrives." 

"Then  you  think  he  will  attack  you  ?" 

"I  know  he  will,"  replied  Sir  Hugh.  "Some 
of  the  Sepoys  have  been  engaged  all  the  morning 
down  there" — he  pointed  to  the  eastward  where 
we  could  discern  many  a  dark  form  hurrying  to 
and  fro — "in  removing  shot  and  shell  from  the 
boats  on  the  canal" — (a  waterway  communicating 
with  the  Ganges,  and  on  which  most  of  the  trans 
portation  of  goods  was  done) — "while  others  have 
broken  into  the  armories  and  storehouses  and 
taken  thence  every  weapon  to  be  found.  Did  you 
not  see  them  as  they  marched  off  just  now  ?  Well, 
they  have  gone  to  meet  the  Nana,  and  by  this  time 
to-morrow,  if  not  before,  I  expect  them  back  here 
in  overwhelming  numbers;  for  with  such  a  leader 
as  the  Eajah  of  Bithoor,  thousands  will  flock  to 
his  standard. 

"I  say,  colonel,  I  don't  see,  for  the  life  of  me, 
how  you  and  your  friends  escaped  falling  into 
their  hands.  You  were  very  fortunate.  The 
ladies — your  wives — mustn't  think  of  leaving  us 
under  any  condition." 

"No  danger  of  it,  general;  we  are  here  at  Can- 


gb  Zanee  Kooraii. 

Ding's  orders  to  report  to  you  for  duty,"  said  the 
colonel,  nodding  to  Charlie  and  me. 

"Good!"  he  exclaimed.  "I  only  wish,  gentle 
men,  I  could  be  assured  of  more  such  surprises. 
It  is  going  to  be  a  long  time,  I  fear,  before  we 
receive  much  assistance." 

"That's  what  we  thought,"  said  the  colonel; 
"and  for  that  reason  we  did  all  we  could  toward 
making  your  situation  known.  While  on  the  hill 
there,  yonder,  we  sent  back  our  escort — six  Madras 
Fusileers — with  a  report  of  it.  We  did  it  because 
they  are  brave,  trusty  fellows,  and  will  be  more 
likely  than  any  Europeans  would  to  take  a  mes 
sage  through." 

"Indeed,  you  were  very  thoughtful,"  said  Sir 
Hugh,  warmly.  "It  is  true  that  telegraphic  com 
munications  haven't  been  cut  yet;  but  they  soon 
will  be,  and,  furthermore,  if  those  Fusileers  get 
through  in  safety,  they  will  know  what  the  con 
dition  of  the  country  is,  and  so  prove  of  inestima 
ble  value,  perhaps,  in  guiding  here  the  more 
speedily  a  relief  column. 

"But  why  was  it,  gentlemen,  knowing  some 
thing,  as  you  did,  of  the  dangers  into  which  you 
were  venturing,  that  you  brought  your  wives  with 
you?" 

"They  accompanied  us  that  we  might  travel  the 
better,"  said  the  colonel,  "that  is,  not  be  taken  by 
the  natives  for  spies,  or  have  them  suspect  our 
mission.  Of  course,  now  the  errand  has  failed, 
we  are  sorry  that  they  came." 

"Yes,  it  is  too  bad,"  the  general  soliloquized ; 
"our  quarters  aren't  very  pleasant  for  ladies,  and 


A  Serious  State  of  Affairs.         91 

— well,  I  fear  they  will  be  less  so.  However,  now 
they  are  here,  we  must  make  the  best  of  it." 

Then— 

"But  come  in,  gentlemen,  and  have  dinner  with 
me." 

Accordingly,  he  and  the  chaplain  leading  the 
way,  we,  attended  by  our  servants,  who  led  our 
horses,  followed  them  inside  the  intrenchments. 


2anee  Kooran. 


CHAPTER 

THE  SITUATION  AS  IT  WAS. 

WE  were  conducted  by  our  illustrious  guides  to 
two  massive  stone  buildings — what  had  been  the 
barrack  hospitals — which  stood  not  far  apart  on 
the  line  of  fortification.  One  of  these  was  larger 
than  the  other,  and  into  this  we  were  escorted 
and  served  with  a  meal  that  tended  to  sharpen 
our  appetites  rather  than  appease  our  hunger, 
notwithstanding  we  endeavored  earnestly  to  sup 
plement  the  deficiency  of  solids  by  water,  for  which 
every  condition  was  in  our  favor — the  fact  that 
we  were  spent  with  the  fatigues  of  travel,  and 
that  the  mercury  stood  high  in  the  nineties. 

General  Wheeler  and  his  officers  did  not  want  to 
be  inhospitable  to  us,  but  the  food  supply  had  to 
be  husbanded.  While  it  was  abundant  enough  at 
the  present,  there  was  no  telling  when  more  could 
be  procured.  Every  mouthful  obtainable  had  al 
ready  been  brought  hither,  and  nine  hundred 
human  beings  were  inside  the  intrenchments  to  be 
fed! 

So  we  were  informed  while  dining. 

Sir  Hugh  also  told  us  that  he  had  among  these 
three  hundred  combatants,  and  possibly  a  few  over. 


The  Situation  as  it  Was.          93 

"But,"  said  he,  with  a  sigh,  "only  two-thirds, are 
legitimate  fighting  men;  they  are  my  officers  and 
military  staff.  The  rest  are  civilians — none  of 
them  to  be  relied  upon  very  highly,  though  all 
will  probably  assist  and  do  what  they  can,  and 
many,  doubtless,  prove  as  brave  and  gallant  as  the 
best." 

"And  the  other  six  frandreS — wK&$  of  them 'V 
asked  Colonel  Kicherson. 

"Three  hundred  and  sixty  are  women  and  chil 
dren — families  of  the  civilians  and  my  officers. 
The  remaining  two  hundred  and  forty  are  serv 
ants,  invalids  and  the  like — persons  who  cannot 
fight,  but  must  be  protected.  But  come,  gentle 
men;  let's  have  a  smoke." 

Our  frugal  repast  now  being  finished,  he  led 
us  to  another  building,  where  he  took  us  into  his 
private  office.  Here  he  gave  each  of  us  an  excel 
lent  cigar,  and  also  unsealed  for  us — the  colonel, 
Charlie  and  me,  for  Mr.  Moncrieff  was  no  longer 
present — a  bottle  of  rare  old  wine. 

These  extras  were  uncalled  for,  since,  under 
the  circumstances  it  was  military  etiquette  for 
us  to  be  content  with  his  inability  to  receive  us 
more  appropriately;  but  as  we  were  officers  sent 
by  the  Governor-general  on  a  special  mission,  I 
suppose  he  felt  he  should  let  us  understand  that 
he  wanted  to  be  a  liberal  host. 

Much  satisfaction  it  must  have  afforded  him, 
therefore,  when  he  saw  the  pleasure  we  derived 
from  the  wine  and  those  cigars,  which  soon  made 
us  feel  like  ourselves  again,  especially  the  colonel, 
who,  with  his  habitual  jovialness,  related  all  that 
had  taken  place  down  the  river  relative  to  the 


94  Zaaee  Kooraft. 

Sepoys  and  Nana  Sahib;  except,  of  course,  that 
part  played  by  the  Begaum  of  Benares.  Her 
name  he  would  not  reveal,  though,  apparently, 
no  harm  could  have  risen  from  it  now. 

Shortly  afterwards,  he  showed  us  about  the 
works;  for,  although  his  battery  was  composed  of 
only  eight  guns,  they  were  all  twenty-four  pound 
ers,  and  not  one  could  have  been  planted  with  bet 
ter  judgment  for  the  defense  of  the  place. 

Even  then  parties  of  Sepoys,  every  man  armed, 
and  with  cartridge-boxes  full,  we  ascertained  these 
facts  by  aid  of  the  glass,  could  be  seen  prowling 
about  among  the  ruined  bungalows.  Evidently 
they  were  only  awaiting  the  return  of  the  main 
body,  and  that  with  the  Rajah  of  Bithoor  at  their 
head,  when  they  would  show  us  what  they  in 
tended. 

Not  that  afternoon  did  the  main  body  appear, 
however,  nor  during  the  succeeding  night.  Hence 
for  that  much  longer  at  least  were  we  left  in 
peace;  and  we  availed  ourselves  of  it  by  looking  to 
several  points  where  it  was  thought  improvements 
could  be  made  in  the  direction  of  strengthening 
the  defenses. 

At  nightfall  every  one  of  us — men,  women  and 
children  alike — gathered  in  the  open  spaces  be 
tween  the  buildings,  and,  the  chaplain  lending, 
united  in  a  fervent  prayer  to  the  throne  of  God ; 
then  we  retired,  for  we  knew  that  what  sweet  rest 
we  could  gain  now  would  help  us  for  the  by-and- 
by. 


The  Siege  Begins. 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

THE      SIEGE      BEGINS. 

SATUKDAY,  June  6th,  1857 — a  day  to  be  mem 
orable  in  English  history  evermore — opened,  like 
the  days  had  preceding  it,  intensely  hot  and  sul 
try.  Even  at  an  early  hour  the  mercury  in  the 
thermometer  stood  at  ninety  degrees,  with  scarce 
a  breath  of  air  stirring. 

Breakfast  over,  I  proceeded  at  once  to  my  post. 
I  had  been  assigned  to  service  on  the  artillery; 
had  been  entrusted,  in  fact,  with  the  management 
of  one  of  the  siege-guns — the  long  twenty-four 
pounders. 

You  see,  during  my  days  at  Chatham  I  had  dis 
tinguished  myself  a  bit  in  gunnery,  and,  owing 
to  this,  the  colonel  had  made  General  Wheeler  be 
lieve  that  I  understood  exactly  how  to  handle  such 
a  piece,  though  he  must  have  known  that  I  was 
at  present  considerably  out  of  practice.  How 
ever,  I  supposed  he  (the  general)  thought  it 
would  require  only  a  few  rounds  for  me  to  win 
back  my  skill;  and,  in  truth,  I  was  somewhat  of 
this  opinion  myself;  certainly  so  when  I  took  into 
consideration  the  women  and  children,  and  others 
equally  dependent,  there,  whom  it  was  my  duty 
to  help  protect. 


96  Zanee  Kooran. 

To  speak  more  plainly,  I  had  also  interests  of 
my  own  at  stake.  Now  that  Zanee  Kooran  loved 
me,  and  I  loved  her,  and  we  each  understood  the 
other,  I  naturally  wished  to  get  out  of  this  death 
trap  alive — that  is,  if  it  could  be  done  with  honor. 

Fortunately,  I  was  pleased  with  the  gun  of 
which  I  had  been  given  charge.  She  was  as  fine  a 
piece  of  ordnance,  for  the  kind,  as  I  ever  saw, 
and  as  she  commanded  an  important  position,  one 
facing  the  parade-ground  direct,  I  went  over  her 
again  and  again  to  familiarize  myself  with  her 
workings  and  adjustments,  since  every  machine, 
you  know,  has,  the  same  as  every  person,  its  own 
peculiarities,  its  own  individuality. 

Indeed,  it  was  thus  I  was  engaged,  when  Colonel 
Banning  came. 

"If  we  are  attacked,"  said  I,  "I  hope  I  shall  be 
able  to  quit  myself  creditably.  Let  alone  the  many 
here  to  be  defended,  Sir  Hugh  has  won  a  prominent 
place  in  my  heart.  He  seems  to  be  a  splendid 
fellow ;.  every  inch  a  soldier,  and  every  inch  a  good 
man." 

"You  are  right,"  Banning  replied  warmly. 
"He  is  a  good  man — a  grand  man;  brave,  reli 
able  and,  what  is  more,  true  as  steel.  It  is  too  bad 
the  Nairn  went  back  on  him." 

"Then  you  think  he  will  attack  us,  do  you  ?" 

"Oh,  yes;  I  am  sure  of  it.  In  fact,  what  elsa 
could  you  expect  from  a  man  who  has  been  robbed 
as  he  has  ?  Yes,  he  will  attack  us  all  right  enough ; 
and,  fool  that  I  was !  I  now  see,  when  it's  too  late, 
that  his  feigned  friendship  for  us  was  from  the  be 
ginning  a  blind." 


The  Siege  Begins.  97 

"I  have  heard  that  he  tried  to  make  himself  very 
agreeable  here,"  said  I. 

"He  did ;  and  he  succeeded  so  well,  too,  the  most 
of  us  thought  there  was  never  a  better  fellow. 
You  see,  sir,  he  had  English  tastes;  was  a  good 
shot,  and  could  fairly  hold  his  own  at  billiards; 
kept,  also,  a  few  horses  for  the  race-course — he  had 
some  first-rate  ones  in  his  stables  at  Bithoor — was 
present  at  every  ball  and  entertainment,  and  al 
ways  willing  to  lend  his  aid  and  assistance  to 
every  gathering.  His  private  band  often  played 
here  on  the  promenade,  and  handsome  presents  of 
shawls,  jewelry,  and  the  like  were  frequently  made 
by  him  to  those  whom  he  held  in  highest  favor. 
He  used  to  be  a  great  pet  among  the  ladies,  for  he 
never  failed  to  show  them  every  courtesy.  He  even 
went  so  far  as  to  declare  the  one  regret  of  his  life 
was  that  his  color  and  his  religion  prevented  his 
entertaining  the  hope  of  obtaining  an  English 
wife.  The  hypocrite !  To  think  how  he  held 
luncheon  parties  in  his  palace  at  Bithoor  almost 
weekly,  and  at  which  a  dozen  or  more  of  us  of 
ficers  would  be  present !  Why,  sir,  in  all  India — 
Hark!  What  is  that  I  hear?" 

A  sound  like  the  rushing  of  a  distant  wind 
through  leafless  boughs,  smote  our  ears,  and  pres 
ently  we  could  distinguish  music — chiefly  a  great 
beating  of  drums  and  blaring  of  horns. 

"Ha!  The  Sepoys  are  coming,"  shouted  my 
companion.  "The  Sepoys  are  coming  I" 

He  was  right.  About  a  quarter  past  nine — fif 
teen  minutes  later — the  head  of  the  column  hove 
in  sight  among  the  upper  part  of  the  cantonments. 
First  came  a  division  of  cavalry,  and  then  a  regi- 


98  Zanee  Kooran. 

ment  of  foot,  both  gay  in  scarlet  uniforms  and 
with  gorgeous1  banners. 

These  were  followed  by  what  appeared  to  be  a 
section  of  mounted  officers,  who  rode  a  little  in  ad 
vance  of  a  magnificent,  full-grown  elephant,  richly 
caparisoned,  and  bearing  upon  its  back  a  pavilion 
of  regal  splendor,  in  which  reclined,  on  downy 
cushions,  a  single  individual,  whose  showy  garb, 
even  at  that  distance,  it  could  be  seen  (by  aid  of 
the  glass),  was  resplendent  with  gold  and  precious 
stones. 

Up  to  my  side  strode  General  Wheeler  with  his 
largest  glass,  and  leveled  it. 

One  look  was  enough  for  him ;  a  deep  groan 
bursting  from  his  lips,  he  turned  to  Colonel  Ban 
ning,  and  said : 

"It's  just  as  I  expected,  colonel ;  Nana  Sahib 
leads  them.  Great  God !  Why  was  it  we  did  not 
arrest  him  when  the  chance  was  ours?  Perhaps, 
then,  the  agony  of  this  hour  might  have  been 
spared  us." 

"Well,  general,  it's  too  late  to  think  of  that  now. 
The  present  confronts  us,  and  we  must  make  the 
best  of  it,"  Banning  firmly  replied. 

"True,  colonel,  true;  but  how  much  that  will 
amount  to,  heaven  only  knows." 

Then,  facing  about,  he  straightened  himself 
before  his  officers,  who  had  congregated  at  this 
point  to  the  number  of  more  than  two  score,  to 
watch,  the  same  as  had  a  larger  assemblage  of 
women  and  children,  back  of  them  still,  the  Se 
poy  host.  An  honest  light  shone  in  his  clear 
eyes,  and  his  handsome  face,  which  had  suddenly 
grown  firm  and  defiant  in  expression,  looked  al- 


The  Siege  Begins.  99 

most  as  grand  as  that  of  an  archangel.  Indeed, 
I  shall  never  forget  him  as  he  stood  there,  his 
clenched  hand  smote  upon  his  bosom,  as  he  said, 
in  a  voice  scarcely  raised  above  a  whisper : 

"Comrades !  We  are  English  officers  and  gen 
tlemen  !  If  we  must  fall  in  the  coming  struggle, 
let  our  deeds,  while  life  is  ours,  be  such  as  will 
make  our  dear  country  proud  of  us,  and  not — not 
defile  us  in  the  sight  of  God." 

A  hearty  am.en  burst  from  every  lip;  and  I 
know,  for  my  part,  that  I  experienced  a  feeling  of 
resolve,  of  resignation  even,  such  as  I  had  never 
felt  before,  and  which  can  only  be  born  of  de 
spair,  as  we  then  united  in  a  fervent  and  fraternal 
grasping  of  hands,  each  of  us  with  the  other. 

Giving  the  glass  through  which  I  had  been 
looking  to  Colonel  Banning,  I  said : 

"Those  fellows  nearest  the  Eajah  appear  to  hold 
high  rank.  Do  you  know  who  they  are?" 

"I  do  not,"  he  replied;  "the  most  of  them,  in 
fact,  are  strangers  to  me." 

"Yes,  they  are  strangers,  as  also  is  a  large  part 
of  the  foot  further  in  the  rear,"  said  Colonel 
Scott,  who  was  now  using  the  glass;  "they  are 
probably  men  of  the  Nana's  own  force.  He  main 
tains  quite  a  military  establishment  at  Bithoor, 
you  know?" 

That  the  Sepoys  of  the  original  Cawnpore  force 
had  been  augmented  considerably,  was  manifested 
by  similar  expressions  of  various  officers  who  took 
the  glass,  in  their  turns,  and  looked.  Those  best 
acquainted  with  the  mutineers  thought  there  were 
from  six  to  eight  hundred  strangers  in  the  column 
moving  upon  us ! 


too  Zanee  Kooran. 

For  not  once  did  the  Sepoys  stay  or  alter  their 
course,  until  they  had  arrived  at  the  extreme  up 
per  end  of  the  broad  space  generally  denomi 
nated  the  parade-ground,  between  whic"  and  the 
intrenchments  only  a  mile  and  a  half  intervened; 
then  a  bugle  sounded,  the  music  ceased,  and  the 
gay  column  came  to  a  halt. 

Forthwith  two  horsemen  rode  from  the  front 
back  to  the  elephant,  and  there  appeared  to  re 
ceive  instructions  from  the  Nana.  Five  minutes 
were  consumed  in  this  manner,  when  one  of  the 
horsemen  who  had  ridden  back  dashed  forward 
with  a  white  flag  waving  above  his  head. 

"Aha !  They  send  us  a  stranger,  do  they  ?" 
cried  Colonel  Banning. 

"Certainly,"  replied  Colonel  Scott.  "What  else 
can  they  do?  Evidently  no  officer  of  the  station 
dares  trust  himself  within  reach  of  his  old  com 
mander  now,"  he  added  contemptuously. 

In  the  meantime  the  Hindu — probably  an  of 
ficer  of  the  Rajah's  household — rode  up  to  within 
hailing  distance  of  the  intrenchments,  and  de 
manded  to  speak  with  the  Maha-Sahib,  General 
Wheeler. 

"Well,  I  am  he,"  said  Sir  Hugh,  stepping  boldly 
forward. 

The  message  that  the  Hindu  delivered  was  a 
grandiloquent,  high-sounding,  tremendous  affair, 
setting  forth  how  if  the  Great  Sahib  named  Gen 
eral  Wheeler  would  immediately  and  uncondition 
ally  surrender  the  town  of  Cawnpore,  together 
with  all  fortified  places  therein,  to  the  High  and 
Mighty  the  Maha-Rajah  called  Nana  Sahib,  to 
be  by  him,  possessed  and  holden  henceforth;  the 


The  Siege  Begins.  101 

said  surrender  to  include  every  species  of  prop- 
perty,  save  only  the  clothing  belonging  to  each 
individual,  all  jewels  worn  upon  the  person,  and 
one  sword  and  one  pistol  to  each  man,  with  neces 
sary  food;  all  else  to  be  given  up: — if  the  said 
General  Wheeler  would  agree  to  this,  why,  he 
should  be  allowed  to  pass  out  in  safety  from  the 
town  and  have  a  safe  conduct  as  far  as  Allaha 
bad, — he  and  every  European  now  with  him,  with 
this  exception:  Those  three  officers  who  had  yes 
terday  arrived  from  down  the  river — namely, 
Colonel  Howard  Richerson,  Captain  Charles  Wins- 
low  and  Captain  Henry  Clermonte — should,  it 
was  the  Great  Rajah's  pleasure,  abide  with  him  for 
a  while  and  partake  of  his  hospitality. 

"Ha !  Then  he  did  have  a  hand,  through  his 
emissaries,  in  intercepting  those  letters,  when  I  was 
absent  from  Benares/'  said  Captain  Winslow  to 
Colonel  Richerson,  both  of  whom  stood  beside  me. 

"Yes,  and  no  doubt  knows  all  about  our  plans 
concerning  himself,"  I  grumbled  bitterly,  recalling 
with  horror  the  warning  words  of  Zanee  Kooran 
when  we  parted. 

"Well,  we  aren't  in  his  clutches  yet,  thank  for 
tune  !  Let's  content  ourselves  with  that,"  said  the 
colonel,  quietly. 

Sir  Hugh's  response  to  the  Nana's  messenger 
was  short  and  crisp. 

"Go  tell  your  master,"  said  he,  in  his  most  pomp 
ous  style,  "that  he  is  a  villain,  a  traitor,  and  a 
false  man.  Aye,  tell  him  that  to  save  my  life  I 
wouldn't  so  belittle  myself  as  to  entertain  from  him 
for  a  moment  a  proposition  of  his  making.  If  he 


IO2  Zanee  Kooran. 

wants  the  property  now  in  my  keeping,  he  must 
come  and  take  it.  He  will  find  me  here !'' 

To  this  the  messenger  made  no  reply ;  he  did 
not  even  show  any  impatience  or  surprise  at  it. 
He  merely  bowed,  then  wheeled  his  horse  about  and 
spurred  away. 

"Now  we  shall  soon  know  what  to  expect,"  said 
Sir  Hugh. 

He  was  right.  In  a  short  time  the  Sepoy  column 
was  again  in  motion,  and  shortly  after  we  caught 
sight  of  a  train  of  heavy  artillery.  There  were 
twelve  twenty-four  pounders — regular  siege  pieces 
— that  we  counted,  drawn  by  oxen.  These  were 
followed  by  a  number  of  powder  wagons,  and  these, 
in  turn,  by  heavy  carts  evidently  bearing  shot  and 
shell — all  drawn,  as  were  the  guns,  by  oxen. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  make  too  long  a  story  of 
the  investment  which  followed,  though  it  is  doubt 
ful  if  the  pen  of  any  man  can  do  justice  to  its 
horrors — the  uncertainties  and  fears  that  assailed 
us,  and  which  were  all  too  soon  realized  in  their 
most  awful  reality.  Death  that  leered  at  us  and 
then  came  to  us  in  a  dozen  different  forms;  the  suf 
ferings  and  hardships  endured  by  us  who  were 
spared  the  longest,  and  the  heroism  displayed  alike 
by  men,  women  and  children,  of  which  no  greater 
heroism  perhaps  was  ever  displayed  by  human  be 
ings.  Volumes  might  be  written  on  it,  and  then 
not  one-half  be  told,  and  never  could. 

Suffice  it  to  say,  therefore,  that  Nana  Sahib,  hav 
ing  once  more  sent  in  a  demand  for  instant  sur 
render,  which  was  as  peremptorily  refused  as  the 
first  one  had  been,  opened  fire  upon  us. 

Of  course,  when  we  perceived  that  a  bombard- 


The  Siege  Begins.  103 

ment  was  inevitable,  we  did  all  we  could  to  lessen 
our  danger,  by  harassing  the  Sepoys  as  much  as 
possible;  we  straightway  began  shooting  at  them 
with  two  of  our  long  twenty-four  pounders,  one  of 
which  being  the  piece  I  had  charge  of,  I  had  a 
fair  chance  to  obtain  some  practice  preparatory  to 
more  important  work  to  come.  But  alas!  it  was 
energy  practically  wasted. 

Availing  themselves  of  ground  already  gained, 
they,  despite  our  best  efforts,  planted  their  artil 
lery  to  advantage  and  with  excellent  judgment; 
and  added  to  this,  it  was  made  manifest,  as  soon  as 
they  were  in  action,  that  they  had  as  expert  gun 
ners  among  them  as  were  any  of  us  Europeans. 
Not  only  was  their  ordnance  handled  skillfully,  but 
the  guns  were  fired  with  precision  and  deadly  aim ; 
so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  within  an  hour  after  their 
batteries  had  opened  fire,  the  women  and  children 
all  came  down  from  the  upper  stories  of  the  vari 
ous  buildings,  forced  to  seek  shelter  behind  some 
thing  cannon-balls  could  not  penetrate. 

Now  it  was  that  a  difficulty  which  had  been  too 
little  thought  of  by  Sir  Hugh  a.nd  his  men  when 
they  were  fortifying,  unfolded  itself  to  us  in  all  its 
horrors.  The  only  well  from  which  we  could  draw 
water  for  drinking  and  cooking  purposes,  was  in 
one  of  the  most  exposed  parts  of  an  open  space 
within  the  lines,  and  separated  from  without  only 
by  the  low  earth-work,  over  which  any  good  man 
could  almost  have  leaped. 

The  Sepoys  quickly  discovered  this,  and,  as  might 
be  expected,  concentrated  their  fire  upon  it  without 
delay.  Hence,  not  only  did  it  become  impossible 
for  any  of  us  to  go  near  the  well  by  daylight,  but 


IO4  Zanee  Kooran. 

the  continuous  battering  and  plowing  of  the 
solid  shot  about  its  mouth,  threatened  to  destroy 
it  by  filling  it  up.  Had  this  occurred,  it  would, 
of  course,  have  been  fatal  for  us.  Xo  other  source 
whence  fresh  water  could  be  procured  existed — not 
within  the  lines. 

Happily,  for  us,  however,  the  well  was  not  de 
stroyed  ;  and  those  who  took  the  matter  in  charge, 
resolved  that  after  that  day  sufficient  water  should 
be  drawn  at  night  to  last  us  through  the  fifteen  or 
sixteen  hours  of  succeeding  daylight. 

Such  was  our  plight  on  the  night  of  June  6th, 
when  as  yet  the  siege  had  barely  begun ! 


The  pate  of  Futteghur.  105 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  FATE  OF  FUTTEGHUR. 

THE  next  morning — the  Sabbath  morning — 
Chaplain  Moncrieff,  regardless  of  danger  to  him 
self,  went  around  among  us  giving  us  such  words  of 
cheer  as  he  could  command. 

Cannon-balls  were  still  crashing  into  our  midst, 
often  creating  dire  havoc,  while  bullets  were  also 
whistling  over  our  heads,  due  to  some  of  the  Sepoys 
having  under  cover  of  darkness  dug  rifle-pits  with 
in  range,  and  now  that  daylight  had  come,  were 
thence  trying  to  pick  us  off.  These  caused  us  to 
tremble  for  his  safety,  and  we  urged  him  to  betake 
himself  away  from  danger.  But  not  for  a  moment 
would  he  listen  to  us.  No,  he  had  his  duty  to  per 
form,  he  said,  and  he  would  show  us  he  did  not 
fear  to  do  it.  The  example  he  set  us  was  not  in 
vain ;  at  any  rate,  we  shelled  those  rifle-pits  so  per 
sistently  we  made  the  mutineers  abandon  them, 
and  presently  silenced  one  of  their  twenty-four 
pounders. 

But  of  what  avail  were  such  trifling  successes? 
The  bombardment  went  on,  just  the  same,  and  that, 
alas !  with  daily  increasing  fury.  True,  we  might 
be  able  to  stop  the  Sepoys'  coming  inside  the  in- 
trenchments,  but  we  could  not  prevent  the  suffer- 


io6  2anee  Koorart. 

ings  they  inflicted  upon  us,  and  these  became 
frightful  beyond  description. 

Almost  at  the  outset  were  the  few  horses  and 
cattle  we  had  shot  down,  and  there  being  no  chance 
for  us  to  dispose  of  them,  the  carcasses  had  to  lie, 
for  the  most  part,  where  they  fell,  and  to  fester  in 
the  broiling  sun.  As  a  consequence,  an  awful  ef 
fluvium  arose,  and  delicate  women,  weak  men,  and 
feeble  children,  overcome  by  this,  and  also  from  be 
ing  too  closely  huddled  together  in  the  ill-ventilated 
rooms  of  buildings  riddled  through  and  through 
with  shot  and  shell,  and  from  having  to  do  with 
out  those  luxuries  which  alone  make  life  endurable 
to  Europeans  in  Indian  cities  on  the  plains  during 
the  heats  of  summer,  were  soon  falling  sick  and 
dying  at  an  alarming  rate.  Added  to  this,  the 
Sepoys  on  the  fifth  day  of  the  siege  took  to  firing 
red-hot  shot;  and  two  days  later,  while  a  strong 
wind  was  blowing,  they  thus  succeeded  in  setting 
on  fire  some  of  the  wooden  structures  in  which  our 
sick  and  wounded  were  confined,  with  the  result 
that  nearly  fifty  of  these  were  burned — aye!  cre 
mated  alive — before  we  could  rescue  them. 

Of  course,  it  was  out  of  the  question  for  the  non- 
combatants  who  were  left  to  stay  in  the  buildings 
which  remained  after  that.  But  alas!  the  only 
shelter  we  could  provide  for  them  was  by  digging 
holes  in  the  ground — chiefly  under  the  banks  of  the 
intrenchments — and  setting  boards,  boxes  and  the 
like  over  these.  Therefore,  was  it  any  wonder  that 
at  the  end  of  the  first  week  we  found  over  a  hun 
dred  of  us  had  fallen,  the  majority  of  whom  were 
weak  men,  women  and  children  ?  Ah  !  the  burrows 
we  had  constructed  might  shield  them  to  some  ex- 


The  Fate  of  Futteghur.  107 

tent  from  the  scorching  rays  of  the  sun,  and  per 
haps  exclude  from  their  aching  eyes  the  sight  of  the 
fiery  cannon-balls  which  tore  over  us  and  rolled  be 
yond,  ever  crackling  and  snarling  like  maddened 
dogs ;  but  nothing  could  stop  the  noise  nor  stay  the 
stench  arising  from  the  broad  charnel-house,  and 
which  was  far  more  horrible  and  fatal  to  endure 
than  the  incessant  storm  of  iron  showered  upon  us 
from  the  enemy's  guns. 

It  was  marvelous  how  any  of  us  managed  to  keep 
alive  during  this  reign  of  terror  and  monstrosity. 
Owing  to  our  cramped  condition  within  the  lines, 
and  the  fact  that  none  of  us  could  go  outside  to  re 
main  for  any  length  of  time,  so  vigilant  were  the 
Sepoys,  and  from  whom  no  armistice  was  ob 
tainable,  opportunities  were  not  given  us  even  to 
bury  our  dead.  Accordingly,  we  had  to  resort  to 
the  next  best  thing,  namely,  a  very  deep  well,  dug, 
nobody  there  knew  when,  which  was,  happily,  ac 
cessible  to  us  inside  the  intrenchments. 

Unlike  the  one  we  drew  water  from,  it  was  shut 
in  by  a  mass  of  debris,  left  in  the  demolition  of  an 
old  stone  structure,  and  which  Sir  Hugh's  men  had 
not  cared  to  remove  when  they  were  fortifying. 
Much  too  shallow  and  hard  was  the  water  in  it  to  be 
of  use  to  us,  however ;  it  seemed  to  be  impregnated 
with  lime  or  some  mineral,  which  rendered  it  any 
thing  but  palatable;  and  so,  a  better  sarcophagus 
not  existing,  it  became  customary  with  us,  when 
night  had  fallen,  to  gather  up  reverently  the  bodies 
of  the  dead  and  deposit  them  in  this  old  well, 
thinking  if  we  lived  to  survive  the  horror-laden 
time,  we  would  take  up  the  forms  and  give  them 
different  burial. 


io8  Zanee  Kooran. 

Truly,  we  were  learning  what  war  is  like — to 
know  how  it  feels  to  be  imprisoned,  as  within  the 
walls  of  Dartmoor,  only  here  our  lives  were  in  dan 
ger  every  minute;  doubly  so,  since  scurvy,  fever, 
sunstroke  and  cholera  were  causing  such  mortality 
among  us.  As  our  numbers  dwindled  day  by  day, 
those  of  Nana  Sahib  were  augmented.  From  far 
and  near  the  rebellious  natives  flocked  to  his  stand 
ard,  until  he  had  us  surrounded — practically  cut 
off  from  every  hope  of  succor — with  fully  twelve 
thousand  men,  and  his  batteries,  moreover,  had 
been  strengthened  with  a  number  of  heavy  guns. 

Kemarkable  as  it  may  seem,  though,  we  did  not 
yet  despair.  In  defending  our  lives  and  property, 
we  were  fighting  with  just  cause,  and  borne  up  by 
the  thought  of  this,  we  became  lion-hearted.  We 
could  die,  but  we  would  not  yield.  This  much  was 
made  manifest  to  the  Nana,  in  that,  notwithstand 
ing  he  had  frequently  sent  in  to  demand  a  surren 
der,  promising,  each  time,  he  would  permit  the 
whole  garrison — except,  of  course,  Colonel  Richer- 
son,  Captain  Winslow  and  myself — to  depart  in 
safety,  thus  far  his  proposals  had  been  peremptorily 
refused  by  Sir  Hugh. 

Once  only  had  he  summoned  a  council  of  his 
chief  officers  and  to  them  put  the  question : 

"Shall  we  surrender  the  trust  which  our  Govern 
ment  has  given  us  to  these  creatures,  and  above  all 
deliver  up  three  brave  officers  sent  here  by  Lord 
Canning  to  frustrate  this  demon's  designs,  that  the 
rest  of  us  may  go  free?" 

And  the  answer,  I  afterwards  learned,  had  been : 

"No!  Never!" 

Ah !  We  soon  had  cause  to  rejoice  over  this  deci- 


The  Fate  of  Futteghur.  109 

sion,  albeit  it  was  offset  by  an  anxiety  which  weighed 
upon  our  hearts  like  lead.  How  so  ?  Because  on  the 
night  of  the  14th — the  day  after  the  cremation  of 
so  many  of  our  sick  and  wounded,  Colonel  Eicher- 
son,  while  on  a  round  of  inspection  for  Sir  Hugh, 
detected  in  the  darkness,  lighted  up  only  by  the 
occasional  flash  of  our  guns,  or  by  the  bursting 
of  the  enemy's  shells,  the  form  of  a  man  who  was 
laboriously  worming  himself  along  on  his  hands 
and  knees  just  outside  the  intrenchments. 

No  response  did  he  make,  however,  when  chal 
lenged  by  the  colonel.  Therefore,  thinking  that  he 
was  a  spy,  and  was  perhaps  trying  to  get  away, 
my  friend  leaped  over  the  earth-work,  seized  him 
and  dragged  him  back  with  him,  single-handed,  to 
find  he  had  captured  one  of  the  most  pitiful-looking 
wretches  we  had  ever  seen.  He  was  not  a  Hindu, 
but  a  European ;  and  he  was  so  far  gone  he  could 
scarcely  whisper,  much  less  speak  a  word.  Indeed, 
not  until  we  had  refreshed  him  with  wine  were  we 
able  to  learn  who  he  was ;  then,  with  painful  exer 
tions,  he  told  us  that  he  was,  like  ourselves,  one 
of  Her  Majesty's  soldiers — a  sergeant  named  John 
Brenton. 

He  had  come  from  Futteghur,  he  said,  the  mili 
tary  cantonment  of  Furruckabad,  a  town  about 
three  miles  to  the  westward  of  it,  and  on  the  oppo 
site  or  left  bank  of  the  Ganges.  Here  he  was  sta 
tioned  when  the  mutiny  broke  out.  The  canton 
ment  had  contained  a  small  fort,  and  when  it  was 
seen  the  Sepoys  were  no  longer  to  be  relied  upon, 
Colonel  George  Acklan  Smith,  the  commander  of 
the  Tenth  Eegiment  of  Native  Infantry,  had  shut 
himself  up,  with  his  officers,  in  this,  and  he  (Bren- 


no  Zanee  Kooran. 

ton)  had  constituted  one  of  the  number;  the  Chris 
tian  people  of  the  place  had  also  come  to  them  for 
protection,  and  in  all  one  hundred  and  fifty  per 
sons  had  collected  there. 

Only  one-fourth  of  them  were  men  capable  of 
bearing  arms,  however,  and  withal  they  were 
poorly  provisioned,  as  well  as  sadly  lacking  in  guns 
and  ammunition.  Could  they  hope,  then,  to  hold 
out  against  the  Sepoys  ?  Aye,  they  had,  neverthe 
less,  meeting  their  onslaughts,  when  besieged  by 
them  in  overwhelming  numbers,  with  stubborn  re 
sistance.  Day  and  night  they  had  toiled,  weary  but 
undaunted,  in  the  batteries,  and  it  was  not  un 
common  for  them  to  be  forced  to  use  strange  am 
munition  with  their  artillery,  while  many  indeed 
were  the  rebels  who  fell  beneath  the  fire  of  their 
rifles. 

Colonel  Smith  was  a  noted  marksman,  and  he 
had  picked  off  the  mutineers  with  such  an  amount 
of  skill  it  would  have  done  credit  to  the  "prize 
men"  of  Wimbledon.  The  chaplain,  too,  Mr. 
Frederick  Fisher,  had  alternated  the  duties  of  a 
soldier  with  those  of  a  Christian  minister.  Having 
preached  on  the  text,  "What  time  I  am  afraid,  I 
will  trust  in  Thee,"  he  went  out  and  faced  the 
enemy  with  the  bravery  of  a  veteran. 

Thus  animated,  the  little  garrison  had  displayed 
remarkable  fortitude,  and  made  a  gallant  defense. 
Even  some  of  the  women  took  part  in  the  fighting, 
and  one — the  widow  of  a  man  attached  to  the 
Clothing  Agency,  who  had  been  shot  dead  at  his 
post — set  an  example  for  the  others  which,  no 
doubt,  helped  them  to  bear  up  more  bravely. 
Rather  than  sitting  down  to  weep,  and  to  pray 


The  Fate  of  Futteghur.  1 1 1 

for  the  men  who  were  still  left  alive  to  defend 
them,  she  had  gone  out  and,  with  rifle  in  hand, 
posted  herself  in  one  of  the  bastions,  "Whence," 
said  Brenton,  "I  saw  her  shoot  down  many  of  the 
Sepoys." 

But,  though  they  had  defended  themselves  so 
heroically  against  desperate  odds — aye !  though  the 
chaplain,  in  one  of  the  attacks,  had  killed  the 
rebels'  leader  with  his  own  hand,  causing  them  to 
fall  back  discomfited,  all  too  soon  had  their  ammu 
nition  failed  them,  and  it  was  found  they  could  no 
longer  remain  in  the  fort,  since  there  was  no  hope 
of  succor  from  without. 

Accordingly,  one  dark  night,  when  the  Sepoys 
were  quiet,  three  boats  had  borne  away  the  Chris 
tian  people  from  Futteghur.  A  hundred  souls — 
the  other  third  were  deaxl  by  this  time — had 
crowded,  with  what  baggage  they  could  collect,  and 
that  with  many  of  them  sick  and  wounded,  into 
these  three  boats,  and  drifted  out,  they  scarcely 
knew  whither. 

With  all  their  drawbacks,  they  had  succeeded  in 
getting  nicely  started  down  the  Ganges,  and  were 
congratulating  themselves  that  they  would  escape 
from  the  enemy,  after  all,  when,  one  of  the  boats 
ran  upon  a  shoal.  Therefore,  to  get  it  floated  again. 
necessitated  hard  work  and  a  great  delay,  and  more 
noise  made  than  should  have  been,  which  aroused 
the  villagers  nearby,  who  consequently  poured  out 
in  scores  and  began  firing  upon  them.  This,  in 
turn,  produced  extreme  terror  among  the  women 
and  children,  and  the  probability  was  that  every 
one  of  the  unprotected  occupants  in  that  boat 
would  have  perished  on  the  spot,  had  not  a 


H2  Zanee  Kooran. 

squad  of  seven  brave  officers,  trusting  to  their 
strong  arms  and  good  cause,  charged  a  crowd  of 
some  hundreds  of  the  natives  and  succeeded  in 
putting  them  to  flight.  The  poor  creatures — 
what  were  left  of  them — then  crowded  into  the 
other  two  boats,  notwithstanding  their  being  al 
ready  overladen,  and  in  an  incredibly  short  time 
the  voyage  down  the  river  was  resumed. 

Only  for  a  short  distance,  however.  The  na 
tives  now  followed  them  in  crafts  of  various 
kind,  while  more  lined  the  banks  of  the  river,  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  confusion  which  prevailed, 
another  boat  was  grounded.  The  result  was,  a 
terribly  brutal  massacre  ensued.  Seeing  it  was 
death  to  stay  in  the  boat,  all  had  jumped  from 
it  who  were  able  to,  so  that  those  not  shot  or  cut 
down  by  the  mutineers,  were  drowned. 

As  far  as  Brenton  knew,  only  the  chaplain  had 
come  out  alive. 

He  was  half-crazed  with  grief,  for,  like  many 
another  man  during  those  darksome  days  in 
India,  he  had  had  a  family,  and  up  to  the  time 
of  the  second  boat's  grounding,  his  wife  and  child, 
whom  he  greatly  loved,  had  been  with  him;  but 
now  he  was  alone.  Being  asked  where  they  were, 
he  had  tearfully  answered: 

"God  help  them!  Both  were  drowned  in  my 
arms." 

Then  he  had  explained  how,  on  the  boat's  be 
ing  surrounded,  he  had  caught  up  little  Phil,  and, 
with  his  wife,  leaped  into  the  water.  The  current 
had  been  too  strong  for  Mrs.  Fisher,  however; 
she  was  carried  almost  immediately  off  her  feet 
by  it,  and,  in  his  efforts  to  save  her,  he  had  lost 


The  Fate  of  Futteghur.  113 

both  her  and  the  boy.  After  that  the  natives 
had  closed  in,  and  he  had  had  all  he  could  do  to 
save  himself. 

As  to  the  third  boat,  it  had  drifted  on  without 
further  molestation,  and  its  occupants  were  work 
ing  desperately  to  reach  Cawnpore — a  haven, 
they  supposed,  of  safety  and  rest,  when  three  days 
previous  to  the  present  time — that  is,  on  Thurs 
day  afternoon — they  were  suddenly  discovered 
and  set  upon  by  a  detachment  of  ISTana  Sahib's 
forces.  Some  were  shot  down  at  once  by  the  brutes 
from  the  shore,  and  in  the  height  of  the  terror  and 
confusion,  Brenton  had  dropped  overboard;  and, 
being  fortunately  an  expert  swimmer,  he  swam 
under  water  from  the  boat  to  a  narrow  neck  of 
land  where  a  thick  growth  of  tangled  wildwood 
afforded  him  a  complete  cover. 

Here  he  had  lain  until  he  had  seen  the  last  of  his 
companions,  who  were  left  alive,  seized  and  car 
ried  off  by  the  Sepoys.  Then  he  had  calculated, 
as  near  as  he  could,  the  proper  course,  and  set  out 
on  foot  for  Cawnpore.  He  had  not  dared  travel 
by  daylight,  but  he  had  been  successful  in  hit 
ting  the  right  direction,  also  in  escaping  detec 
tion  and  capture  by  the  rebels,  and  so  had  reached 
us  at  length  in  the  sad  plight  we  found  him. 

And  now  he  came  to  the  most  significant  part 
of  his  story — at  least,  the  most  significant  to  us. 
During  his  tramp  from  the  river,  he  was  be 
friended  on  the  second  day  by  a  native,  who  gave 
him  information  concerning  his  friends.  They 
had  been  dragged,  the  native  told  him,  into  the 
presence  of  Nana  Sahib,  before  whom  all  the  men 


H4  Zanee  Kooran. 

were  butchered,  and  the  women  and  children  then 
thrown  into  prison ! 

"Oh,  you  don't  know,"  said  the  poor  man,  feebly, 
when  he  had  swallowed  food  and  taken  a  little  more 
wine;  "you  don't  know,  shut  up  here,  what  that 
wretch  is  doing.  Why,  before  his  troops  fired 
upon  us  in  the  boat,  they  jeered  at  us  and  told  us 
that  the  Great  Rajah  had  sworn,  by  a  most  solemn 
oath,  to  put  every  Feringhee  he  can  lay  hands  upon 
to  death!  I  believe  he  has;  for  in  coming  from 
the  point  of  my  landing,  on  the  river's  bank,  to 
this  place,  I  saw  and  counted  no  less  than  a  dozen 
different  bodies — mostly  Europeans,  apparently 
striving  to  reach  these  works — who  had  in  all  prob 
ability  been  killed  by  his  demon  butchers!" 

Sir  Hugh  and  the  rest  of  us  listened,  dumb 
founded.  We  could  hardly  believe  that  this  was 
the  clemency  of  the  Rajah  of  Bithoor;  and  yet  the 
appearance,  the  sincerity  of  the  ragged,  half- 
starved  creature  before  us  made  us  feel  it  must 
be  true. 

What !  surrender  to  the  Nana  ?  Xo,  never !  Bet 
ter  by  far  to  be  shot  down  at  our  post  and  over 
come  by  disease,  than  place  ourselves,  voluntarily, 
in  the  hands  of  such  a  monster. 

"Ah,"  thought  I,  "what  would  Zanee  Kooran 
say  if  she  knew  of  the  plight  we  are  in  now?" 
Poor  girl !  how  it  would  have  pained  her.  I  was 
thankful,  indeed,  she  was  in  ignorance  of  it. 

But,  again,  what  if  Sir  Hugh  should  be  com 
pelled  to  surrender?  If  the  Rajah  of  Bithoor 
was  such  a  demon  as  Sergeant  B  rent-on  made  him 
out  to  be,  might  not  the  fate  of  Cawnpore  then  be 
a  duplicate  of  the  fate  of  Futteghur  ? 


The  Fate  of  Futteghur.  '115 

Alas !  it  was  becoming  more  and  more  apparent 
that  if  succor  did  not  reach  us  soon,  we  could  pre 
pare  to  expect  the  worst.  Already  woe  and  wretch 
edness  hemmed  us  in  on  every  side;  not  only  was 
disease  cutting  us  down,  but  gaunt  famine  began 
to  loom  up  before  us;  our  food  supply  was  dwin 
dling  ! 

Moreover,  we  had  now  only  two  hundred  men 
capable  of  bearing  arms,  and  eight  cannons,  to  de 
fend  a  long  line  of  earth-work;  while  against  us 
were  arrayed  from  twelve  to  thirteen  thousand 
strong,  cruel,  bloodthirsty  Hindus,  with  fifty  large 
guns,  hurling  shot  and  shell  incessantly. 

Such  was  our  situation,  when,  on  the  morning 
of  the  17th,  we  discovered  at  break  of  day  that 
the  enemy  had  made  during  the  night  an  impor 
tant  advance  upon  our  works  which,  if  not  prompt 
ly  repulsed,  must  be  fatal. 

Sir  Hugh  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  however. 
At  once  he  summoned  to  his  aid  his  chief  officers 
and,  having  conferred  with  them,  surprised  me 
by  approaching  Colonel  Richerson,  with  whom  I 
stood  conversing.  He  took  both  my  friend's  hands 
in  his  and,  looking  him  in  the  eye,  asked: 

"My  dear  colonel,  are  you  willing  to  give  your 
self  up  to  the  task  of  saving  the  garrison  for  an 
other  day?" 

"That,  general,  depends  on  what  it  is.  Have  you 
any  particular  plan  in  view?" 

"I  have,  sir.  My  idea  is  to  send  out  a  force  to 
scatter  those  audacious  Sepoys,  and  I  want  you  to 
lead  the  attack.  Can  you  do  it?" 

For  a  moment  I  thought  I  saw  my  friend's  face 


u6  Zanee  Kooran. 

blanch;  but  when  I  looked  again  it  was  set  with 
indomitable  will,  and  he  was  saying: 

"Let  me  bid  my  wife  farewell,  general,  and  I 
am  ready!" 

Accordingly  we  began  to  make  preparations  to 
drive  the  mutineers  back;  and,  in  truth,  it  was 
time. 


A  Bit  of  British  Valor.  117 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  BIT  OP  BRITISH  VALOR. 

ON  that  Wednesday  morning  one  of  Sir  Hugh's 
officers  and  I  were  busily  engaged,  at  daybreak,  in 
obtaining  from  the  well  the  last  turn  of  water  we 
should  be  able  to  get  before  night  had  again  spread 
her  friendly  mantle  over  our  track.  For  two  long 
hours  we  had  been  at  the  wearisome  work,  alter 
nately  with  others,  in  utter  darkness ;  but  now  the 
gloom  had  slightly  lifted,  and  as  we  began  to  draw 
the  last  measure  outlines  of  nearby  objects  could 
be  indistinctly  seen. 

At  length  our  vessels  were  full.  My  companion 
was  drinking  from  a  cup,  ajad  I  had  just  put  the 
lifting  yoke  on  my  shoulders,  when  the  monoto 
nous  roar  of  the  enemy's  heavy  guns  was  suddenly 
and  clearly  interrupted  by  the  sharp  report  of  a 
rifle  close  at  hand ;  and  in  the  same  instant  I  felt 
that  the  wooden  yoke  on  my  shoulder  was  struck 
— aye,  knew  the  splinters  were  flying  from  it. 

My  companion  had  caught  the  direction  whence 
the  shot  came,  and  on  peering  intently  where  he 
pointed,  I,  too,  was  able  to  see,  by  the  gradually 
increasing  light,  that  the  Sepoys  had  taken  pos 
session  of  a  new  position;  in  other  words,  ad- 


u8  Zanee  Kooran. 

vanced  up  close  to  that  angle  of  the  intrenchments 
where  the  well  was,  and  there  erected  a  platform, 
on  which  were  already  mounted  five  twenty-four 
pounder  carronades.  I  saw,  further,  that  two  score, 
or  more,  of  the  swarthy  savages  were  engaged  in 
piling  up  case-shot,  shrapnel  and  canister,  with  a 
few  stands  of  grape,  for  use  in  guns. 

Horror,  dismay,  despair,  seized  me  at  the  sight. 
From  that  point  the  bloodthirsty  crew  could  hurl 
a  sweeping  storm  of  sure  death  into  every  part  of 
the  enclosure.  They  could  make  it  impossible  for 
us  to  obtain  any  more  water  from  the  well,  even  at 
night;  could  direct  grape  and  canister  into  the 
sheltered  places  we  had  dug  in  the  earth ;  in  short, 
effectually  sweep  every  avenue  of  communication 
within  the  intrenchments. 

Oh,  something  must  be  done,  and  done  at  once ! 

Accordingly,  leaving  the  vessels  of  water  where 
they  were,  my  companion  and  I  rushed  off  to  in 
form  Sir  Hugh. 

No  doubt  the  general  would  himself  have  led 
the  attack  (such  was  his  nature)  had  he  not  been 
suffering  from  a  severe  vertigo,  brought  on  by  over 
work. 

Having  taken  leave  of  his  wife — by  the  way,  she 
and  Verona  had  thus  far  preserved  their  health  ad 
mirably  and  were  serving  splendidly  in  adminis 
tering  relief,  hope  and  consolation  to  the  sick,  dis 
abled  and  dying — the  colonel  soon  appeared,  armed, 
equipped  and  fully  prepared  for  the  desperate  ven 
ture. 

Sir  Hugh,  in  the  meantime,  had  caused  the  able 
men  of  the  garrison  to  turn  out,  and  drawn  them 
up  in  line  for  him  to  address. 


A  Bit  of  British  Valor.  119 

"They  will  follow  you  better/'  he  had  told  him, 
"if  they  ha,ve  your  inspiration  from  the  start." 

Accordingly,  at  a  signal  from  the  baronet,  Rich- 
erson  now  addressed  the  men.  He  pointed  to  the 
work  which  the  enemy  had  erected,  and  was  about 
to  point  out  its  dangers,  when  a'  sharp,  quick  cry 
of  alarm  from  a  look-out  caused  him,  not  only,  but 
all  of  us,  to  turn  and  gaze  at  the  work  in  question. 

A  crew  of  between  three  and  four  hundred  Se 
poys  had  gathered  around  the  new  battery,  and  I 
looked  just  in  time  to  see  a  dark-skinned  gunner 
apply  a  lighted  match  to  the  priming  of  one  of  the 
guns.  Forthwith  leaped  a  stream  of  flame  and 
smoke,  and  lo !  a  storm  of  shrapnel  swept  over  the 
well,  tearing  through  a  small  hut  beyond,  and  kill 
ing  three  persons — a  woman  and  two  children — 
who  had  been  on  their  way  out  of  curiosity  to  wit 
ness  the  scene  over  which  my  friend  was  presid 
ing. 

Thus  it  was  made  manifest  that  if  the  enemy 
were  allowed  to  retain  the  position  even  an  hour 
longer,  they  would  be  able  to  sweep  every  yard  of 
the  inclosure  with  their  murderous  fire.  What 
further  eloquence  than  that  shot,  therefore,  was 
needed  ?  Aye,  none !  At  any  rate,  the  colonel 
thought  so,  for,  with  the  dying  away  of  the  boom 
of  the  gun,  he  shouted : 

"Ho!  My  men!  We  must  drive  those  demons 
away  from  that  place!  I  want  fifty  strong,  able 
men  to  go  with  me.  Who  shall  they  be?  Two 
steps  to  the  front,  please,  you  who  will  go  with 
me." 

Without  a  word — in  stern  silence,  even,  the 
whole  line  advanced  two  paces. 


I2O  Zanee  Kooran 

"Good !"  said  the  colonel,  smiling  and  bowing 
as  complacently  as  if  he  had  just  been  compli 
mented  by  a  whole  drawing-room  of  people ;  "only 
I  can't  take  all  of  you.  Fifty  men  are  all  I  want. 
So  now,  that  there  may  be  no  complaint,  or 
hard  feelings,  I  will  proceed  by  taking  every  other 
one  of  you  just  as  you  stand." 

To  this  the  men  made  no  objections ;  and  when 
the  devoted  band  was  ready,  the  colonel  walked  up 
and  down  the  line,  making  sure  that  every  rifle 
was  properly  charged,  and  that  the  bayonets  were 
securely  fixed.  He  looked  to  the  latter  particu 
larly,  for  that  was  the  weapon  to  be  relied  upon. 
The  Hindus  were  sorely  afraid  of  it ;  indeed,  they 
would  sooner  face  a  battery,  loaded  to  the  very 
muzzles,  than  be  called  upon  to  withstand  a  bayo 
net  charge. 

The  first  golden  beam  of  the  morning's  sun  had 
illumed  the  spire  of  a  distant  mosque,  causing  it  to 
gleam  like  a  point  of  dazzling  light  in  the  upper 
air,  when  the  colonel  finished  his  work  of  inspec 
tion,  and  turning  to  me,  said: 

"Now,  Henry,  if  there  should  be  any  chance  for 
it,  give  us  the  aid  of  your  very  best  gunnery." 

"God  grant  I  may,  old  friend,"  I  answered ;  and 
fearing  to  say  more,  I  betook  myself  to  the  gun 
of  which  I  had  been  given  charge. 

Meanwhile,  the  colonel  unsheathed  his  sword  and 
gave  the  order  to  advance.  The  force  was  to  leave 
the  intrenchments  in  two  close  files,  and,  at  the 
proper  place,  come  to  a  company  front,  fire  and 
charge. 

Hence,  ere  I  hardly  knew  it,  the  men  went  over 
their  own  works  at  a  bound ;  and  as  they  came  to 


A  Bit  of  British  Valor. 

the  point  where  they  were  to  make  their  onset, 
I  judged  there  were  at  least  four  hundred  Hindus 
gathered  about  the  battery. 

"Halt!  Eeady!  Fire!"  rang  out  the  colonel's 
voice;  and  on  the  double-quick  every  man  came 
into  position  and  executed  the  orders — with  such 
precision,  too,  that  their  muskets  flashed  almost  as 
one  piece. 

"Now  !  Forward !  Charge  !"  and  away  they 
dashed  under  the  smoke  of  their  own  rifles,  the 
colonel  at  the  head  of  the  line. 

A  gaudily  uniformed  Khattriya,  or  chief  war 
rior,  accompanied  by  one  of  the  jemidars  of  the 
mutineers,  ran  out,  apparently  to  learn  what  was 
up.  With  a  loud  shout  to  his  men,  the  colonel 
leaped  forward,  however,  and,  before  I  could  credit 
the  sight,  and  certainly  before  the  twain  could  have 
realized  their  danger,  he  had  cut  them  both  down. 
And  though  others  of  the  Sepoys  immediately  con 
fronted  him,  they,  too,  fell  or  slunk  back  out  of 
his  way.  Indeed,  a  strength  superhuman  seemed 
to  nerve  his  arm,  and,  owing  to  his  courage,  and 
also  excellent  skill  with  the  sword,  the  miserable 
creatures  before  him  had  hardly  the  power  then 
to  do  him  personal  harm. 

Every  man  of  his  command  likewise  sprang  to 
the  work  with  desperate  energy,  and,  seemingly, 
without  a  thought  of  fear.  The  terrible  bayonets, 
therefore,  struck  down  everything  before  them; 
and  so  suddenly,  and  so  furiously,  had  the  attack 
been  made,  the  Sepoys  were  confused  and  demor 
alized  from  the  very  start.  True,  they  fired  some 
shots1;  but,  fortunately  for  the  colonel  and  his 
men,  not  one  of  them  had  a  bayonet  fixed,  nor 


122  Zanee  Kooran. 

was  the  order  to  that  effect  given.  In  fine,  the 
colonel  had  cut  down  the  chief  men  of  the  force 
at  the  first  onset,  and  after  that  no  one  was  left 
who  seemed  to  feel  that  he  had  authority  to  com 
mand. 

I  had  always  heard  it  said  that  nothing  can  in 
spire  soldiers  like  success;  and  on  the  present  oc 
casion  I  was  made  to  believe  it,  for  that  achieved 
by  the  colonel  and  his  men  filled  them  with  an 
ardor  beyond  control.  They  were  nearly  all  of 
ficers,  of  different  grades,  who  were  inured  to 
danger  and  difficulty ;  and,  together  with  our  cheers 
of  approval  from  the  fortress,  and  the  fact  that  they 
were  fighting  for  salvation,  they  now  plunged  into 
the  fray  with  absolute  fury. 

The  colonel  was  still  the  central  figure  of  the  en 
gagement.  I  stood  where  I  could  watch  his  every 
movement,  and  three  different  times  saw  him 
spring  to  where  one  or  more  of  his  men  had  been 
set  upon  by  a  multitude,  and  in  every  case  clear 
his  way  to  their  side,  and  bring  them  safely  out* 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  his  trenchant  blade  was  an 
avenging  weapon ;  wherever  it  fell,  it  sent  a  life 
to  account  for  the  dread  sin  of  treason  and  mu 
tiny.  And  oh,  to  my  infinite  relief,  the  scores 
of  efforts  directed  against  him  were  turned  harm 
lessly  away. 

"Now's  your  time,  Henry ;  quick,  I  say,  or — gad, 
the  chance'll  be  lost!"  cried  Captain  Winslow, 
who  stood,  watching,  at  my  side. 

He  referred  to  a  body  of  the  Sepoys  who  had 
massed  out  in  the  open  parade-ground,  a  little 
beyond  the  colonel  and  hia  men,  and  against  whom 
they  were  at  last  making  a  stand.  They  were  all 


A  Bit  of  British  Valor.  123 

in  a  straight  line  from  me,  and  afforded  opportuni 
ties  for  an  excellent  shot ;  but  to  reach  them  I 
must,  nevertheless,  fire  directly  over  the  colonel 
and  his  men.  Could  I  do  it  ?  Ah,  it  would  be  a 
hazardous  undertaking,  indeed.  I  knew  the  exact 
amount  of  powder  my  gun  contained — the  exact 
amount  of  force  it  would  expend;  but  the  exact 
distance  between  me  and  the  Sepoys  I  must  guess 
at,  elevate  the  piece  accordingly,  and  then  trust 
to  luck  and — to  the  God  of  battles. 

However,  seeing  that  the  colonel  and  his  men 
were  becoming  weary,  and  that  the  Hindus  were, 
on  the  other  hand,  pressing  them  hard,  I  sprang  to 
my  work  without  a  moment's  hesitation.  Esti 
mating  the  distance  as  nearly  as  I  could  with  my 
eye,  I  brought  the  gun  into  position,  sighted  it, 
and  pulled  the  lanyard. 

My  activity  was  succeeded  by  a  feeling  of  sicken 
ing  dread,  almost  revulsion.  There  was  only  one 
thought  in  my  mind,  and  that  was,  suppose  I  had 
elevated  the  gun  too  much?  My  target  consisted 
of  two  parts,  remember,  and  it  was  the  upper,  or 
further,  one  that  I  wished  to  hit.  If  the  shell  was 
cut  too  sharp  an  angle,  however,  it  would  drop  on 
the  lower,  or  nearer,  half. 

Something  had  happened.  I  was  conscious  of 
tremendous  shouting.  Then  came  the  blast  of  a 
bugle. 

"What  is  it?"  I  asked,  as  Captain  Winslow 
wrung  my  hand  and  babbled  a  lot  of  words  in  my 
ear  I  failed  to  understand. 

"What  is  it?"  he  repeated;  "what  is  it?  Gad! 
You  hit  the  rascals  plumb  in  the  centre,  and  those 
left  alive  are  now  fleeing  for  their  lives." 


124  Zanee  Koorart. 

"But  what  of  the  colonel  and  his  men?"  I  in 
quired,  still  failing  to  comprehend  the  lucky  shot 
I  had  made. 

<rWhy,  gad,  they're  coming  back.  The  general 
has  recalled  them.  Didn't  you  hear  the  bugle?" 

He  was  right.  The  fight  was  over;  the  Sepoys 
were  gone,  and  our  men  returning. 

Now,  incredible  though  it  may  appear,  Richer- 
son  brought  back  into  the  lines  the  fifty  men 
whom  he,  less  than  three-quarters  of  an  hour  be 
fore,  had  led  out,  every  one  of  them  being  alive 
and  able  to  walk. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  dead  of  the  Sepoys  lay  in 
scores.  From  the  moment  of  the  first  impact  up 
to  that  period  when  my  shot  had  dealt  the  final 
blow,  they  had  made  a  very  weak  resistance.  They 
had  gathered  there,  you  see,  for  the  purpose  of 
playing  with  the  great  guns.  They  had  come  up 
to  load,  and  fire,  and  sweep  the  intrenchments  with 
a  death-dealing  storm  of  grape,  canister  and 
shrapnel,  never  dreaming  that  we  would  dare  come 
out  of  our  works  and  attack  them.  Thus,  when 
we  did  attack,  they  had  at  once  become  demor 
alized,  and,  for  the  most  part,  utter  cowards.  In 
deed,  as  near  as  we  could  reckon,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  of  them  had  been  killed  outright. 

Meanwhile,  to  complete  the  victory,  Sir  Hugh 
sent  out  a  gang  of  armorers  to  spike  the  guns  which 
had  been  captured ;  for  we  could  not  think  of  mov 
ing  them,  neither  had  we  the  means  of  handling 
them,  were  they  inside  the  lines. 

'The  platform  was  then  demolished;  and  when 
the  armorers  and  workmen  were  once  more  inside 
the  intrenchments,  all  listened  to  an  eloquent 


A  Bit  of  British  Valor, 

speech  of  hearty  thanks  from  Sir  Hugh,  together 
with  shouts  of  joy  and  gratitude  from  every  one 
else. 

"Great  powers,  Henry,  but  you  can  shoot/'  ex 
claimed  the  colonel  admiringly,  when  Captain 
Winslow  and  I  were  finally  allowed  to  carry  him 
off  between  us  in  quest  of  food. 

"Shoot?  Gad,  I  should  say  so,"  ejaculated  the 
captain.  "Why,  colonel,  he  has  nerves  of  steel." 

"Well,  I  believe  it,"  said  the  colonel ;  "yes,  I  do, 
for  I  tell  you  it  takes  something  besides  flesh  and 
blood  to  graze  your  best  friend's  head  with  a  hiss 
ing  shell,  and  so  knock  away  the  victory  for  which 
he's  striven  with  might  and  main.  Great  powers ! 
you  can't  conceive  how  disappointing  it  is." 
Whereupon  we  all  laughed,  and  gave  one  another  a 
playful  pull,  like  a  trio  of  frolicsome  school-boys. 

The  next  minute  Lillian  was  in  the  arms  of  her 
husband,  looking  up  into  the  face  of  a  hero — one 
who  had  come  forth  from  the  storm  of  death  un 
harmed,  yet,  withal,  had  offered  his  life,  freely  and 
nobly,  for  the  good  of  the  garrison.  Ah,  it  was  a 
proud  moment  for  her. 


126  2anee  Kooran. 


CHAPTER  XL 

AN  EFFORT  GRIM  AND  GRAND. 

To  pass  hurriedly  over  a  horrible  period — a 
period  fraught  with  deaths  by  disease,  and  deaths 
from  the  balls  of  the  enemy — the  evening  of  Mon 
day,  June  22nd,  found  us  driven  to  sore  straits. 
Every  building  within  the  lines  was  utterly  shat 
tered,  and  no  .shelter  existed  there  further  than 
that  afforded  by  the  caves  we  had  dug  in  the  earth. 
Two  hundred  men  were  all  Sir  Hugh  had,  who 
could  fire  a  musket  or  work  a  gun ;  and  these,  per 
force,  must  defend  a  long  line  of  fortifications,  so 
dismantled  now  that  a  child  might  have  climbed 
over  them  at  almost  any  point.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  were  arrayed  against  us  by  this  time  no  less 
than  thirteen  thousand  Hindus,  well  armed  and 
provisioned,  and  possessing  plenty  of  artillery  and 
ammunition ! 

Why  did  they  not  carry  the  intrenchments  by 
direct  assault  ?  Because  their  leader,  Nana  Sahib 
was  most  emphatically  a  coward. 

Deprived  as  they  were  of  their  European  officers, 
they  must  act,  forsooth,  in  herds  to  accomplish  any 
thing  at  all,  and  if  a  panic  once  did  set  in  with 


An  Effort  Grim  and  Grand.        127 

them,  comomn  sense  was  generally  gone.  Added  to 
this,  they  had  no  more  moral  courage  than  a  pack 
of  jackals.  They  might,  it  was  true,  be  influ 
enced  by  certain  obligations  as  existing  between  in 
dividuals  of  the  same  caste  or  clan;  might,  in 
fact,  remain  staunch  while  fear  or  prejudice  held 
them  in  bondage ;  endure  heroic  trials  for  the  sake 
of  their  religion,  and  even  look  death  calmly  in 
the  face  when  brought  to  a  pass  from  which  there 
was  no  possible  escape.  But  as  for  that  sublime 
moral  principle  which  leads  a  man  to  acknowledge 
the  great  law  of  Eight — in  fine,  that  which  leads 
him  to  do  right  because  it  is  right — the  principle 
of  Truth  and  Honor  and  absolute  Justice — of  this, 
alas !  they  had  not  an  atom.  It  was  as  if  they  pos 
sessed  no  conception  of  any  such  principle  in  life. 

Hence  the  secret  of  our  holding  out  against  them 
as  long  as  we  did.  For,  truth  to  tell,  if  Nana 
Sahib  had  had  even  the  courage  of  one  of  our  Lon 
don  scullery  maids,  and  his  followers  had  been 
equal  thereunto,  he  might  have  swept  us  off  the 
face  of  the  earth  at  a  single  attack.  But,  as  it  was, 
the  bloodthirsty,  treacherous  coward  contented 
himself  with  plying  his  large  guns,  and  ever  and 
anon  sending  in  a  demand  for  surrender.  He  never 
exposed  his  own  person  within  reach  of  our  guns ; 
no,  not  he,  and  perhaps  it  was  well,  for  him,  that  he 
did  not. 

I  could  not  put  it  out  of  my  mind,  the  interest  he 
had  manifested  in  Zanee  Kooran  ;  and  this,  coupled 
with  his  "fondness"  for  Colonel  Eicherson,  Captain 
Winslow  and  myself,  augmented,  you  may  rest  as 
sured,  my  personal  hatred  for  the  man.  However, 
he  no  longer  included  the  detention  of  us  three  in 


12&  Zanee  Koorart. 

making  his  demands  for  surrender.  He  now  prom 
ised  us  all  a  safe  conduct  as  far  as  Allahabad,  if  we 
would  only  yield. 

The  liar !  The  base  deceiver !  Time  alone  was  to 
show  us  how  much  dependence  we  could  put  in  his 
word.  The  hideousness  which  beset  us  on  that  even 
ing  of  Monday,  June  the  22nda  even  I — I  who  was 
there  and  witnessed  and  took  part  in  it — cannot  de 
scribe.  The  most  I  can  say  is,  it  had  become  for 
us  one  living  death,  with  horror  on  horror,  and 
terror  upon  terror. 

Our  animals  had  all  been  killed  within  the 
lines,  and  of  these  not  one  of  the  carcasses  was 
buried.  It  could  not  be  done,  and  as  yet  no  oppor 
tunity  had  been  given  us  to  go  outside  for  the  pur 
pose.  In  point  of  fact,  the  most  .we  could  do  now 
was  to  go  around  on  every  morning,  at  the  first 
humid,  malignant  dawn  of  day,  and  reverently 
gather  up  the  lifeless  forms  of  the  men,  women  and 
children  who  had  fallen  since  the  previous  morn 
ing;  then,  under  cover  of  the  fire  of  two  of  our 
large  guns,  bear  them  to  the  old  well,  and  cast  them 
in. 

Hence  the  stench  of  the  putrifying  bodies  of 
those  animals  long  dead  !  Aye,  and  the  great  flocks 
of  carrion  birds — vultures,  buzzards  and  the  like — 
most  repulsive  to  us  in  appearance,  not  to  men 
tion  myriads  of  biting  and  stinging  flies,  which 
were  attracted  there  by  the  odor  of  blood !  Not 
only  did  the  former  affright  us  day  and  night  by 
the  flapping  of  their  wings,  but  the  latter  so  filled 
the  air  we  were  forced  at  all  times  to  have  a  care 
lest  we  inhaled  them  with  our  breathings.  It  was 
useless  to  wage  war  against  these.  Time  and  again 


An  Effort  Grim  and  Grand.        129 

we  blew  countless  legions  of  them  out  of  existence, 
simply  by  sprinkling  powder  lightly  over  the 
ground  where  they  swarmed  thickest;  but  repeat 
these  operations  as  often  as  we  might,  the  wholesale 
executions  seemed  to  make  no  more  impression  on 
their  teeming  millions  than  so  many  sudden  puffs 
of  wind. 

And  then,  the  noise  of  battle,  and  the  insufferable 
heat.  The  constant  booming  of  the  enemy's  heavy 
guns ;  the  crash  of  the  solid  shot,  and  the  shriek  of 
the  shells,  which  ever  threatened  us  with  annihila 
tion';  the  jeers  and  yells  of  the  Sepoys;  the  wail- 
ings  of  terrified  women  and  children ;  the  moans  of 
the  wounded;  the  frequent  booming  of  our  own 
guns  in  answer  to  the  mutineers'  incessant  fire ;  the 
air  thick  with  the  smoke,  and  sour  with  the  acrid 
odors,  of  gunpowder ;  and,  above  all,  fatigue,  hun 
ger,  want,  despair,  poverty,  anger,  lunacy — the 
whole  gamut  of  the  passions,  in  brief — assailing  us 
and  goading  us  on  to  desperation ! 

For,  as  a  matter  of  truth,  about  the  last  meal 
had  been  served  that  our  larder  could  afford. 
Famine — absolute  famine — was  upon  us.  There 
was  not  another  ounce  of  flour  to  be  had,  scarcely 
another  ounce  of  anything  eatable. 

So  Sir  Hugh  informed  us  on  that  memorable 
evening.  He  had  summoned  us,  in  fact,  to  his  of 
fice — a  deep  excavation  near  to  the  line  of  in- 
trenchments,  covered  over  for  a  roof  with  doors 
and  bits  of  tent  canvas. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  he,  gazing  sorrowfully  upon 
us  by  the  light  of  a  single  tallow  candle;  "gen 
tlemen,  there  is  food  in  abundance  within  the 
town,  and  likewise  on  the  canal.  But  here — 


130  Zanee  Kooran. 

here,  inside  the  lines,  there  is  none.  Therefore, 
what  is  to  be  done?" 

"Why,  let  us  have  food;'  said  Colonel  Scott; 
and  though  he  said  nothing  further,  his  looks  be 
spoke  volumes. 

"Aye !  Let  us  have  food,"  echoed  voice  after 
voice. 

"But  think,"  said  Sir  Hugh.  "Between  us  and 
the  food  we  must  take,  if  we  take  any,  are  from 
twelve  to  thirteen  thousand  Hindus  in  arms — 
vengeful,  bloodthirsty,  merciless,  every  one." 

"Yes,  and  in  our  midst  stalks  a  foe  a  thousand 
times  more  frightful,"  groaned  Colonel  Scott  bit 
terly;  "it  is  an  enemy  only  to  be  overcome  by 
boldly  facing  the  enemy  without." 

"Great  powers!  It  is  better  to  perish,  I  say, 
manfully  struggling  for  life — for  the  salvation 
of  what  few  dear  ones  we  have  yet  left  us — than 
to  lie  down  and  die  supinely.  General,  I,  for 
one,  am  ready  to  follow  wherever  you  will  lead," 
said  Richerson,  desperately. 

"And  I !"  "And  I !"  "And  I !"  exclaimed  an 
other  and  another,  until  every  one  present,  my 
self  included,  had  assented. 

"God  help  us!"  said  Sir  Hugh,  reverently. 
Then  he  unfolded  to  us  his  plan  whereby  we 
would  make  the  attempt  on  the  morrow  to  force 
the  enemy  back  and  obtain  food. 

Accordingly,  with  the  first  break  of  dawn  the 
next  morning,  he,  and  likewise  the  rest  of  us,  duly 
appeared,  armed  and  equipped,  for  the  desperate 
venture,  which  might  be  only  a  forlorn  hope,  after 
all.  He  was  able  to  muster  one  hundred  and 
sixty  of  us  to  go  with  him,  and  among  these  were 


An  Effort  Grim  and  Grand.        131 

Captain  Winslow  and  Colonel  Bicherson.  A  hand 
ful  of  men,  under  the  command  of  myself,  were 
to  stay  inside  the  intrenchments,  to  guard  them, 
and  also  to  work  the  guns.  Nearly  our  whole  ef 
fective  force,  however,  was  to  accompany  him, 
and  all — officers  and  men  alike — held  in  their 
hands  the  Enfield  rifle,  the  bayonet  of  which,  as 
they  knew  how  to  wield  it,  was  a  most  formidable 
weapon.  Each  man  also  took  a  few  rounds  of  am 
munition  in  his  pocket — they  did  not  care  to  bur 
den  themselves  with  belts  and  cartridge-boxes — 
and,  with  a  revolver  apiece,  they  went  forth. 

I  had  just  loaded  my  gun  with  a  shrapnel  shell, 
and  was  standing  beside  the  noble  piece,  vaguely 
wondering  if  I  should  ever  again  see  Zanee 
Kooran,  and  be  able  to  press  her  to  my  bosom,  and 
ah,  tell  her,  dear  girl,  how  we  had  striven  to  save 
the  garrison  of  Cawnpore,  when,  suddenly,  with 
one  long,  loud  cry  of  vengeance,  the  heroic  band 
sallied  out.  Sir  Hugh,  I  saw,  was  leading  on  one 
hand,  while  Colonel  Eicherson's  manly  form 
showed  up  on  the  other;  and  in  this  manner  they 
sped  over  the  parade-ground,  with  only  one 
thought — that  of  beating  the  dusky  horde  back 
and  obtaining  food.  Their  first  onset,  therefore, 
was  crowned  with  marked  success.  The  Sepoys 
fell  back  before  them,  astounded  and  utterly 
frightened,  those  bayonets  striking  terror  into 
their  hearts  as  nothing  else  could. 

It  chanced  I  could  see  the  fight  from  where  I 
stood,  just  as  I  had  on  the  previous  day;  and 
again  and  again  I  beheld  that  little  band  of  des 
perate  men  hurl  themselves  against  forces  ten  and 
twenty  times  their  own  number,  and  beat  them 


132  Zanee  Kooran. 

back.  At  certain  points  and  at  certain  periods 
it  looked  almost  as  if  it  were  one  man  against  one 
hundred.  On  three  different  occasions  I  wit 
nessed  a  gathering  of  the  Sepoys  in  great  num 
bers,  for  the  purpose  of  checking  them;  but  they 
dived  through  the  mass  in  each  instance,  like  a 
wedge,  rending  it  apart,  and  as  a  consequence 
forcing  the  mutineers  to  turn  and  flee.  In  truth, 
every  man  of  the  garrison  fought  like  a  tiger  at 
bay,  and  dreadful  indeed  was  the  execution 
wrought  by  those  bayonets  in  their  skillful  hands; 
no  matter  what  the  opposition  was,  they  darted, 
as  tongues  of  flame,  above  and  below  the  rifles' 
guard,  sweeping  through  brisket  and  breastbone. 
The  ground  back  of  them  was  everywhere  strewn 
with  the  dead  and  the  dying. 

Ah !  If  Sir  Hugh  had  only  had  cavalry — even 
fifty  horses — he  might  have  accomplished  some 
thing;  but,  as  it  was,  I  saw  from  the  first  that 
this  tremendous  effort  of  his  and  his  men  must 
be  futile.  Nothing  had  as  yet  been  gained  of  food, 
and  for  them  to  put  any  great  distance  between 
themselves  and  their  works  would  be  exceedingly 
rash. 

Sir  Hugh  must  have  perceived  this,  for  all  at 
once  I  found  those  familiar  faces  turned  toward 
me;  the  men  were  endeavoring  to  fight  their  way 
back,  and  it  was  indeed  time.  Though  they  had 
performed  prodigies  of  valor — aye !  though  every 
one  had  covered  himself  with  glory,  it  had  all  been 
to  no  avail ;  rather,  it  had  exposed  the  fortifications 
to  extreme  danger,  for  now  the  Sepoys  were  seek 
ing  to  cut  them  off  from  these,  and  at  the  same 
time  get  possession  of  the  works.  Hardly  had  Sir 


An  Effort  Grim  and  Grand.        133 

Hugh  and  his  men  turned,  when  they  threw  them 
selves  upon  them  in  thousands.  Howling  and 
brandishing  their  rifles,  spears,  tulwars,  pistols 
and  daggers,  the  surging  mass  of  dark-skinned 
demons  pressed  forward  and  wholly  encompassed 
the  brave  men. 

For  a  moment  my  heart  failed  me.  It  seemed 
now  as  if  nothing  could  save  the  gallant  little 
band  from  being  swept  away.  And  yet,  it  was  not. 
No,  but  on  the  contrary,  Wheeler  and  Richerson 
formed  the  men  again  and  again  into  double 
ranks — happily  the  levelness  of  the  parade-ground 
admitted  of  splendid  maneuvering  and  every  kind 
of  evolution — and  hurled  them  against  the  oncom 
ing  tide  of  demoniac  humanity.  Then,  when  the 
enemy  pressed  them  hottest,  they  would,  perchance, 
bring  them  together  with  the  exactness  of  a  ma 
chine  and,  in  the  form  of  a  hollow  square,  let  them 
meet  the  onset  from  every  side;  like  the  towering 
waves  of  a  storm-beaten  sea,  the  Sepoys  would 
throw  themselves  upon  this,  and  a  minute  later 
find  themselves  broken — shattered  into  flickering 
foam,  as  those  very  waves  would  be  upon  the  sides 
of  a  staunch  ship.  Thus,  like  lions  they  fought; 
and  before  their  never  wavering  line  of  sharp  bay 
onets  the  thousands  fell  Lack — aye,  melted  away,  as 
dense  fogs  are  split  and  vanished  by  the  sun's 
penetrative  rays,  leaving  a  path  open. 

Meanwhile  we  were  employing  those  cannon 
which  could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  enemy 
from  the  intrenchments,  with  energy.  Two  of  the 
long  guns  and  a  howitzer  we  loaded  and  fired  so 
fast  water  had  to  be  used  freely  to  prevent  their 
becoming  red  hot.  The  long  twenty-four  pound- 


134  Zanee  Kooran. 

ers  did  splendid  work,  and  when  we  succeeded 
occasionally  in  dropping  a  shell  into  the  midst 
of  that  howling,  gesticulating  mass  before  us,  the 
effects  were  frightful.  All  in  all,  hundreds  of 
Sepoys  fell. 

Once  a  division  of  them  made  toward  us  as  if 
to  capture  the  works.  Accordingly,  charging  our 
guns  with  grape  and  canister,  we  took  rifles — 
every  one  of  us  who  was  able — and  awaited  their 
approach.  Fortunately,  they  did  not  think  to 
spread  out  and  enciroie  the  fortifications;  rather 
they  came  on  in  a  compact  body,  on  one  side,  and 
when  about  fifty  yards  off,  we  suddenly  let  drive 
at  them  with  every  weapon  at  our  command.  The 
result  was  a  terrible  slaughter,  which  threw  them 
into  such  confusion  that  they  bioke  and  fled.  We 
then  resumed  the  former  work  of  helping  our 
friends. 

At  length,  through  the  smoke  and  dust,  we 
caught  sight  of  them.  They  were  still  fighting 
heroically  to  regain  the  fortifications,  and  above 
the  horrible  din  I  could  hear  Richerson  hoarsely 
giving  orders. 

They  had  almost  reached  the  gates  of  the  for 
tress,  and  I  was  beginning  to  experience  a  feeling 
of  unspeakable  relief,  when,  as  I  looked,  I  saw 
brave  Sir  Hugh  go  do^n,  struck  by  a  bullet  in  the 
thigh.  At  once  the  Sepoys  sprang  upon  the  little 
phalanx  with  redoubled  fury,  and  for  a  time 
threatened  to  carry  it  off  through  sheer  force  of 
numbers.  But  Richerson,  whom  nothing  seemed 
to  daunt,  now  took  charge  of  the  whole  command, 
while  Captain  Winslow  caught  up  the  disabled 


An  Effort  Grim  and  Grand.        135 

commandant  in  his  arms  and,  a  few  minutes 
later,  brought  him  safely  inside  the  lines. 

Very  soon  thereafter  was  the  last  man  in  (ex 
cept  about  a  dozen  who  had  been  killed  or  cut 
off  by  the  mutineers),  the  gates  closed,  and  we 
worked  our  guns  rapidly  on  the  baffled  enemy, 
whom,  with  well-directed  discharges  of  grape  and 
canister,  were  quickly  driven  off  and  held  at  a 
safe  distance. 

In  the  meantime,  the  wounded  general  was  be 
ing  cared  for. 

None  of  the  women  had  had  better  health  and 
been  better  able  to  give  assistance  beyond  the 
care  for  themselves,  than  Lillian  Eicherson  and 
Verona  Winslow.  Not  a  word  of  complaint  was 
heard  from  either  of  them  as  to  their  sufferings 
and  inconveniences.  On  the  contrary,  they  mani 
fested  remarkable  coolness  and  courage,  patience 
and  perseverance.  They  worked  together,  and 
clung  to  one  another,  through  it  all,  like  sisters. 

They  now  took  the  wounded  general  under  their 
sole  care,  and  ere  long  had  him  sitting  up  and 
able  to  give  his  attention  to  business.  Of  course, 
under  ordinary  circumstances  such  a  hurt  would 
have  laid  him  up  completely;  but,  at  that  time 
and  in  that  place,  he  was  no  worse  off  than  many 
others  who  were  not  wounded,  yet  who  could  not 
be  spared  to  the  sick  list.  Therefore,  owing  to 
this,  and  good  nursing,  Sir  Hugh,  on  the  second 
day  after  he  was  injured,  appeared  on  duty  again. 

However,  had  he  been  never  so  badly  hurt,  he 
could  not  have  remained  in  his  subterranean  re 
treat  long.  Our  situation  at  last  was  desperate 
in  very  truth.  Men  and  women  were  beginning  to 


136  Zanee  Kooran. 

die  of  starvation,  and  we  all  wore  a  wasted,  ema 
ciated  look.  Famine  was  upon  us — in  the  midst 
of  the  camp,  and  still  from  the  encompassing 
host  without  came  the  same  old  continuous  hail  of 
cannon-balls,  which  not  only  ripped  up  the  earth 
and  rent  away  the  last  fragments  of  our  shattered 
buildings,  but  even  ploughed  into  our  under 
ground  shelters,  ever  and  anon  to  tear  in  pieces 
a  human  form. 

"I  say,  Captain  Clermonte,"  groaned  Colonel 
Scott,  hobbling  up  to  me  from  out  of  the  debris 
of  one  of  these  fatalities ;  "I  say,  if  succor  of  some 
kind  doesn't  get  here  by  to-morrow  night,  do 
you  know  what  we  shall  have  to  do?  We  shall 
have  to  surrender/' 

Alas !  It  was  only  too  true.  It  would  be  death 
— extermination  for  us  to  think  of  holding  out 
longer  than  that ;  and,  ah,  well,  to  give  ourselves 
into  the  hands  of  Nana  Sahib  could  scarcely  make 
our  condition  any  worse  than  it  was. 


The  Surrender.  137 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE   SUEEENDER   AND   WHAT    SUCCEEDED   IT. 

ALL  the  next  day — Friday,  June  26th — we 
watched,  waited  and  prayed  for  help — for  any 
thing  that  would  free  us  from  our  hellish  sur 
roundings  and  mitigate  our  suffering.  We  had 
yet  a  faint  hope,  you  see,  that  an  account  of  Sir 
Hugh's  sad  condition  might  have  been  taken 
through  by  those  Madras  Fusileers  whom  Rich- 
erson  had  sent  back  for  that  purpose  when  we  ar 
rived  here  from  down  the  river;  in  which  case 
relief  certainly  should  be  on  its  way  to  us  by  now. 

Ah!  We  little  dreamed  that  nearly  all  the 
country  down  the  Ganges  was  by  this  time  in  a 
state  of  open  rebellion;  that  Allahabad  (that  place 
to  which  Nana  Sahib  promised  us  a  safe  con 
duct  if  we  would  only  surrender  to  him)  had  just 
been  the  scene  of  a  frightful  carnage — a  carnage 
attended  in  many  instances  by  the  most  fiendish 
cruelty;  that  Benares — even  grand  old  Benares — 
had  been  beset  by  the  shadow  which,  but  for  the 
prompt  action  of  Colonel  Neill,  must  have  left  it 
stained  with  the  blackest  horrors. 

We  had  reached  the  end  of  possible  endurance. 
^Therefore,  to  be  frank,  it  was  with  much  anxiety 


138  Zanee  Rooran. 

that  I  saw  two  messengers  of  the  Sepoys,  their 
guns  having  suddenly  ceased  to  roar,  ride  up  to 
our  gates,  that  evening,  when  the  sun  still  lacked 
an  hour  of  setting,  bearing  white  flags. 

They  came  to  inform  us,  they  said,  that  Nana 
Sahib  sent  to  remind  Sir  Hugh  Wheeler,  com 
manding  the  English  forces  of  Cawnpore,  how  he 
and  his  people — every  one  of  them,  remember — 
should  have  permission  to  depart  for  Allahabad, 
if  they  would  only  surrender  to  him  their  works, 
together  with  all  government  property  under  their 
charge,  and  all  treasures  in  their  possession.  Yes, 
the  Kajah  pledged  himself  solemnly  that,  upon  a 
full  and  complete  capitulation,  as  stated,  he  would 
suffer  the  whole  garrison  to  depart,  and,  further, 
give  each  individual  all  the  aid  he  could  possibly 
need  in  the  preparation. 

Did  the  Maha-Sahib,  General  Wheeler,  doubt 
their  word — ask  for  stronger  assurance  than  they 
were  able  to  give?  Then  they  would  depart,  and 
in  an  hour's  time  come  back  again,  bringing  with 
them  undeniable  proofs  and  proper  authority. 

True  to  their  promise  for  once,  they  did  return 
just  as  the  day  was  closing,  in  company  with  three 
subahdars ;  and,  upon  Sir  Hugh's  invitation,  they 
all  threw  themselves  down  at  the  entrance  of  the 
works — that  is,  after  we  had  so  arranged  two  can 
non  there  that  they  could  not  fully  detect  the 
awful  wretchedness  of  our  situation  within. 

Here  the  general  conferred  with  them  for  a 
while,  then  summoned  his  chief  officers,  including 
Colonel  Richerson,  Captain  Winslow  and  myself, 
together  with  all  the  principal  women  of  the  gar 
rison,  and  asked  us  what  we  should  do  ?  Alas ! 


The  Surrender.  139 

What  could  we  do  ?  We  must  either  surrender  or 
perish. 

Yet  the  proud  old  commandant,  upon  whose 
shoulders  the  entire  responsibility  of  this  sad  af 
fair  had  fallen,  and  whom  our  country  had 
trusted,  could  not  bring  himself,  an  honored  and 
gallant  Knight  of  the  Bath,  to  speak  the  hateful, 
fateful  word;  and  yet,  it  must  be  spoken! 

Suddenly,  when  the  silence  had  become  almost 
unbearable,  and  our  tired  and  reeling  brains  were 
on  the  point  of  bursting  under  the  tension  of  sus 
pense,  Colonel  Richerson  bent  forward  and  whis 
pered  for  a  moment  to  Colonel  Scott;  the  result 
of  which  was,  the  latter  nodded  in  approval  and 
at  once  said: 

"Sir  Hugh !  General !  There  is  no  alterna 
tive  left  us  but  to  submit  to  the  inevitable.  There 
is  a  chance,  to  be  sure,  that  succor  might  reach  us 
some  time;  but  I,  for  one,  am  not  prepared,  vol 
untarily,  to  immolate  myself,  and  I  do  not  care 
to  sacrifice  my  wife.  And  it  is  above  questioning 
that  if  we  remain  much  longer  as  we  are,  it  will 
be  suicidal.  I  make  the  motion,  therefore,  that 
we  accept  the  terms  offered  by  Nana  Sahib,  hold 
ing  him  to  a  faithful  performance  of  his  pledge. 
We  will  surrender!" 

"I  second  the  motion  of  Colonel  Scott,"  said 
Eicherson,  in  tones  hoarse  and  agonized,  but 
withal  firm  and  emphatic. 

I  had  looked  to  see  the  general  insert  some 
sort  of  protest — or,  at  least,  put  forth  a  propo 
sition  ;  but  not  a  word  had  he  of  his  own  to  offer. 
Rather  he  encouraged  the  motion  made  by  asking 
for  a  rising  vote  on  it;  the  result  of  which  was, 


"146  Zanee  KboraA. 

«rery  one  of  the  officers  present,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  himself,  rose  to  our  feet,  and,  presently, 
the  women  followed  suit. 

Thus  was  the  matter  decided.  We  would  sur 
render.  Accordingly  the  envoys  were  called  up 
from  the  distance  to  which  they  had  been  sent 
while  this  discussion  was  being  held,  and  in 
formed  of  the  decision.  Then  the  necessary  ar 
rangements  were  made  whereby  we  would  deliver 
the  garrison  to  Nana  Sahib  at  break  of  day,  on 
the  following  morning. 

This  matter  completed,  some  one  suggested 
that  the  envoys  be  asked  to  send  us  in  food;  but 
from  this  Sir  Hugh  shrank  as  from  a  deed  of 
dishonor.  Albeit  he  was  himself  starving  as  much 
as  the  rest  of  us,  he  scorned  to  accept  such  a  favor 
at  rebel  hands. 

My  heart  ached  for  the  baronet  then,  and  more 
yet  the  next  morning  when  I  awoke  and  saw  the 
first  blood-red  streaks  of  dawn  shooting  up  in  the 
eastern  sky,  like  evil  lights,  they  seemed  to  me, 
from  the  Lower  World.  He  had  made  a  noble 
defense — a  defense  unparalleled;  had  offered  his 
blood  and  his  best  efforts  for  the  sake  of  the 
Governor-general  and  Her  Majesty;  aye,  had  ex 
pended  every  expedient  in  his  power  to  keep  and 
preserve  that  which  had  been  intrusted  to  his 
care.  And  now — now  even — he  would  not  yield. 
He  had  submitted,  it  was  true,  but  it  was  merely 
through  exhaustion;  by  no  means  was  he  a  con 
quered  or  a  humbled  soldier.  At  an  early  hour 
that  morning,  as  had  been  agreed  upon,  a  large 
detachment  of  Sepoys  came  to  the  fortress  and 
aided  us  to  get  to  the  river,  half  a  mile  away, 


The  Surrender. 

where  we  were  to  take  boats.  Those  of  us  who 
could  go  on  foot  had  been  marched  out,  and  the 
women  and  children — all  children  of  tender  years 
— with  the  sick  and  wounded,  placed  in  comforta 
ble  carriages  that  had  been  brought  down  from 
the  European  bungalows;  but  though  among 
them  was  Sir  Hugh's  own  family  coach,  he,  to 
our  surprise,  preferred  to  hobble  along  with  us, 
his  wound  having  so  far  healed  as  to  admit  of 
this,  rather  than  ride. 

It  was  a  slow  and  painful  operation,  but  at  last 
everything  was  ready,  and  w€  set  forward,  honored 
by  nearly  the  whole  Sepoy  host  who  had  turned 
out,  apparently,  for  the  purpose  of  doing  escort 
duty.  Not  only  did  they  march  before  and  be 
hind  and  on  both  flanks  of  us,  but  they  marched 
far  and  near;  and  all  were  gayly  attired,  while 
many  bore  flags  and  streamers  attached  to  spears. 
Great,  also,  was  the  din  made  by  them  with  drums 
and  horns  and  cymbals,  and  tremendous  the  sends- 
off  they  gave  us,  as  "Good-by,  John  Bull!" 
"Never  come  back  any  more,  Englishmen!"  and 
the  like.  Nana  Sahib,  however,  was  nowhere  to 
be  seen. 

But  when  we  reached  the  landing  place  a 
gaudily  uniformed  subahdar  awaited  us,  at  the 
top  of  the  ghat,  where  stood  a  small  Hindu  tem 
ple.  At  his  side  was  a  juggler  whom,  on  second 
glance,  I  remembered  as  having  seen  many  a 
time  in  the  cantonments  at  Benares,  where  he 
was  wont  to  come  and  mystify  us  with  his  magic, 
the  secrets  of  which  he,  like  all  others  of  his 
craft,  guarded  most  jealously.  His  name  was 
Majub,  and  in  Secrole  he  had  always  been  looked 


142  Zanee  Kooran. 

upon  as  friendly;  but  why  was  he  here,  associ 
ating  with  and  to  every  appearance  one  of  this 
horrid  crew?  Why,  indeed?  A  strange  presenti 
ment  began  to  creep  over  me — an  indescribable 
fear  that  everything  was  not  as  it  should  be. 

NOT  was  my  apprehension  by  any  means  al 
layed  when  a  few  minutes  later  our  march  was 
checked  and  Majub,  preceded  by  the  subahdar, 
whose  servant  he  seemed  to  be,  came  up  to  the 
side  of  us  officers,  eying  us  sharply  and  finally 
stopping  before  Colonel  Kicherson,  Captain  Wins- 
low  and  myself.  For  a  time  the  twain  conversed  in 
low  tones,  then  the  subahdar  gave  some  commands 
I  could  not  understand,  and  a  dozen  Sepoys 
straightway  walked  up  to  us  three,  took  us  by  the 
arms  and  led  us  into  the  shadow  of  that  temple, 
separate  and  away  from  Sir  Hugh  and  his  men. 

"Gad,  I  guess  they're  going  to  convert  us," 
said  Charlie  humorously,  by  way  of  keeping  up 
our  spirits;  for  we  had  no  doubt  but  this  deten 
tion  was  authorized  by  Nana  Sahib. 

The  bank  of  the  Ganges  being  rather  high, 
the  waj  down  to  the  river  was  steep,  and  the  sick 
and  wounded  consequently  had  to  be  carried  and 
placed  in  the  boats  bodily  by  the  Sepoys;  all  of 
which  we  could  see,  notwithstanding  that  there 
was  a  thick  jungle.  Before  this  was  accom 
plished,  we  also  saw  that  Sir  Hugh  was  beginning 
to  be  uneasy,  and  we  even  heard  him  ask  why  the 
Nana  did  not  come  to  see  him  off  and  bid  him 
farewell. 

"He  has  not  the  heart,  Maha-Sahib,"  replied 
a  subahdar  of  high  rank.  "It  would  grieve  him 
sorely  to  see  his  old  friend  and  bid  him  good-by, 


The  Surrender.  143 

and  he  might  break  down;  and  that,  you  know, 
would  appear  unmanly  before  all  his  soldiers." 

"But  I  don't  want  to  get  into  that  boat  until 
I  have  seen  my  wife,"  persisted  the  general.  "The 
fact  is,  I  want  her  with  me." 

All  the  sick  and  wounded  were  now  comfortably 
arranged  in  the  boats,  where  most  of  the  men  had 
also  taken  their  places;  but  more  than  half  the 
women  and  smaller  children  were  being  detained 
on  the  bank  by  the  Sepoys,  a  group  of  whom  had 
just  escorted  Sir  Hugh  and  the  last  of  his  officers 
— his  military  staff — to  the  head  of  the  ghat. 

"Don't  worry  about  them,"  said  the  subahdar 
who  had  first  spoken  to  him.  "It  is  the  Great 
Eajah's  wish  that  we  see  the  men  in  the  boats  first ; 
and  when  he  speaks  we  must  obey." 

Therefore,  rather  than  to  be  forced  in,  as  they 
evidently  would  have  been,  Sir  Hugh  and  his  men 
went  quietly  down  the  ghat  and  stepped  into  the 
boats.  But  hardly  were  they  in,  when  these  were 
all  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  pushed  out  into 
the  stream. 

At  the  same  moment  three  guns  were  discharged 
in  quick  succession  from  the  camp  which  we  knew 
the  Nana  to  be  occupying. 

"Great  powers  !  What  does  that  mean  ?"  cried 
Eicherson,  in  alarm. 

"By  the  gods  of  the  Ganges !  It's  treachery," 
answered  Captain  Winslow,  with  a  shrug  of  his 
shoulders. 

"Heaven  help  us !  You  are  right,  Charlie,"  I 
groaned. 

And  indeed  !  In  another  moment,  from  a  thick 
mass  of  tangled  wildwood  on  the  river's  bank,  a 


144  Zanee  Kooran. 

line  of  bushes  fell,  as  if  by  magic,  to  the  ground 
and  a  masked  battery  there  poured  onto  the  un 
protected  boats  a  storm  of  death.  Then,  with 
the  rolling  away  of  the  smoke  of  the  cannon, 
thousands  of  howling  Sepoys  hastened  along  the 
shore — on  both  sides — with  rifles,  and  began  the 
sport  of  killing.  They  were  good  marksmen — 
every  one  of  them,  and  they  meant  that  not  a 
man  of  the  betrayed  garrison  should  escape  alive. 

Alas !  How  well  they  succeeded  in  their  dread 
ful  work  is  a  matter  of  history.  Tell  it  I  cannot, 
for  after  gazing  on  the  revolting  spectacle  long 
enough  to  grasp  its  meaning,  to  know  that  it  was 
reality,  I  shut  my  eyes  with  horror  and  loathing; 
aye,  covered  my  ears  with  my  hands  that  I  might 
not  hear  the  heart-rending  shrieks  of  the  women 
and  the  piteous  cries  of  the  children  who  had  been 
detained  there  on  the  ghat,  and  were  now  given 
every  opportunity  to  behold  the  slaughter  of  their 
friends,  their  husbands  and  fathers. 

The  colonel  and  the  captain  were  made  of 
sterner  stuff,  however.  They  braved  the  whole 
tragedy  through.  At  any  rate,  they  saw  enough 
of  it  so  that  they  were  afterwards  able  to  tell  me 
all  about  it. 

General  Wheeler  and  the  good  old  chaplain, 
Moncrieff,  had  risen  at  the  first  discharge  of  the 
artillery,  they  said,  and  stood  in  their  boat, 
clasped  in  each  other's  arms,  to  die  together.  For 
a  moment  they  had  stood  thus,  their  faces  calm 
and  serene,  and  full  of  faith  sublime,  and  unfalter 
ing  trust  in  the  Heaven  toward  which  they  looked ; 
then — ah,  well,  their  fate  had  been  the  fate  of 
the  rest. 


The  Surrender.  145 

During  it  all  the  women  on  shore,  the  wives  of 
these  martyred  officers,  had  afforded  their  cap 
tors  no  end  of  diversion.  Some  had  appealed  to 
them  for  mercy,  some  bowed  their  heads  in  prayer, 
and  others  had  fainted. 

Still,  the  butchery  went  on,  and  in  conclusion 
two  boats  which  had  been  followed  by  the  Sepoys, 
were  overtaken  and  brought  back  to  the  starting 
place,  and  the  men  left  alive  in  them  dragged  up 
before  us  and  shot.  Hence  it  was  that  that  spot  is 
known,  and  will  be  known  while  the  English  lan 
guage  continues  and  the  annals  of  Great  Britain 
exist,  as  "the  slaughter  ghat." 

Certainly,  for  brutality,  this  surpassed  anything 
we  had  witnessed,  and  standing  there  in  the  back 
ground  of  that  temple,  we  trembled.  We  had  rea 
son  to.  We  knew  not  at  what  moment  we,  too, 
might  be  dragged  forth  to  suffer  a  like  fate, 
though  had  the  Sepoys  sprung  upon  us  for  that 
purpose,  we  would  almost  have  welcomed  it  then. 

Oh,  bitterly  I  recalled  now  Zanee  Kooran's 
friendly  words  when  we  parted:  "Remember,  the 
Sepoys,  when  once  aroused,  are  perfectly  heart 
less,  and,  what  is  worse,  treacherous  to  the  core. 
.  .  .  And,  Henry,  Dhundoo  Punt  is  naturally 
more  cruel,  crafty  and  perfidious  than  any  of  the 
others.  Hence,  beware  of  him  particularly,  if  not 
for  your  sake,  then  for  mine"  And  here — here  I 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  wretch!  Poor  girl! 
What  pain  it  would  give  her  when  she  came  to 
hear  of  it.  How  would  she  take  it  ?  In  all  proba 
bility  I  should  then  be  dead,  and  no  doubt  the  blow 
would  cause  her,  too,  to  pine  away  and  perish  like 
an  injured  flower, 


146  Zanee  Kooran. 

No,  it  was  useless,  in  the  midst  of  this  horrid 
horde,  to  think  that  we  should  ever  meet  again  on 
earth.  The  glory  of  her  superb  form  I  would 
never  see  any  more;  the  music  of  her  sweet  voice 
I  had  long  since  heard  for  the  last  time.  Her 
noble  efforts  to  befriend  the  weak  and  innocent 
had  been  worse  than  futile;  they  had  brought  her 
and  myself  together,  only  to  tear  us  apart,  and, 
now,  despite  every  endeavor  to  the  contrary, 
placed  me  in  a  position  which  must  bring  upon 
her  an  unbearable  sorrow. 

After  what  seemed  an  age  to  me,  though  it  was 
in  reality  only  a  few  minutes,  the  massacre  came  to 
an  end,  and  the  women  and  children,  what  were 
left  of  them,  cruelly  taken  off  to  that  prison-house, 
the  Subada  Ke  Kothee,  made  famous  by  their 
memorable  imprisonment  there. 

Next  a  carriage  was  driven  down  where  the 
colonel,  Charlie  and  I  were  standing,  and  on  its 
halting  before  us,  we  were  surprised  to  see  in  it, 
apparently  unharmed  further  than  for  being 
frightened  beyond  the  power  of  speech,  both  Ve 
rona  Winslow  and  Lillian  Richerson. 

"Sahibs,  you  must  enter  now  and  submit  to  a 
little  journey/'  said  the  subahdar  who  had  de 
tained  us,  and  at  whose  side  still  hung  the  juggler, 
Majub. 

Like  men  in  a  trance  we  obeyed,  the  colonel  and 
captain  grateful  to  be  at  the  side  of  their  wives, 
and  I  content  with  finding  a  restful  seat. 

Then,  with  a  guard  of  mounted  Sepoys  about 
us,  we  were  whirled  away — whither  and  for  what 
purpose  we  knew  not,  nor  did  we  much  care.  In 
our  terrified  and  exhausted  state,  it  was  sufficient 
to  us  that  our  lives  had  been  spared. 


The  Fortress  of  Culpeedah.         147 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE    HILL    FORTRESS     OF     CULPEEDAH. 

IT  was  the  morning  of  July  the  10th,  just  thir 
teen  da.ys  since  our  surrender  to  Nana  Sahib  and 
the  merciless  massacre  of  Sir  Hugh  Wheeler  and 
his  gallant  men.  We  five,  Colonel  Eicherson 
and  wife,  Captain  Winslow  and  wife,  and  I,  were 
being  conveyed  in  the  same  carriage  and  escorted 
by  the  same  crew  by  whom  we  had  been  removed 
from  the  scene  of  that  diabolical  deed.  Only  now 
our  course  was  through  the  open,  broken  country, 
southward  from  Cawnpore. 

Wonderful  to  relate,  we  were  enjoying  the  jour 
ney  immensely.  We  were  in  good  spirits,  for  now 
we  were  well  fed  and  well  clothed,  and  had  it  not 
been  for  our  uncertainty  as  to  the  fate  awaiting  us, 
might  have  derived  as  much  pleasure  from  our 
ride  as  any  rais  (prince)  and  his  suite  out  in 
state  for  an  airing. 

The  mutineers,  when  they  bore  us  away  on  that 
memorable  morning,  had  taken  us  down  close  to 
the  city  proper  and  there  installed  us  in  the  bun 
galow  of  a  certain  captain  of  the  Fifty-sixth  Na  • 
tive  Infantry,  who  was  killed  early  in  the  siege. 


148  Zanee  Kooran. 

It  was  large  and  luxurious,  situated  in  the  midst 
of  a  garden  resplendent  with  flowers  of  tropical 
growth,  none  of  which  had  as  yet  been  marred  ty 
a  marauding  hand.  Here,  instead  of  being  ill- 
treated,  we  had  been  fed  like  potentates.  White- 
robed  and  turbaned  servants  attended  us  every 
where.  They  looked  after  all  our  wants,  seeming 
nearly  always  to  anticipate  them  for  us,  and  it 
mattered  not  whether  we  were  sitting  on  the 
shaded  veranda  partaking  of  refreshments  and  be 
guiling  the  time  by  playing  at  chess  or  whist,  or 
reclining,  as  the  case  might  be,  on  downy  divans 
in  the  sumptuously  furnished  rooms  within,  and 
puffing  at  our  hookahs,  one  or  more  of  them  had 
generally  stood  behind  us,  gently  fanning  us  with 
huge  lacquered  fans  which  rested  on  the  floor. 

Really,  in  every  way  familiar  to  them  had  the 
Sepoys  tried  to  make  us  forget  the  horrible  past, 
and  become  like  ourselves  again;  and  in  a  meas 
ure  they  had  succeeded.  Thanks  to  their  kind 
treatment,  we  had  fully  recovered  from  the  effects 
of  the  siege. 

Therefore,  was  it  small  wonder  the  careful  at 
tention  given  us,  and  the  fact  that  we  had  not  yet 
been  visited  nor  even  molested  by  the  Rajah  of 
Bithoor,  had  left  us  filled  with  perplexity  border 
ing  at  times  upon  madness?  Judging  from  what 
he  had  already  done,  we  felt  sure  the  Nana  was 
making  an  instrument  of  us  to  serve  some  hor 
ribly  evil  motive  for  him ;  but  how  could  we  help 
ourselves?  To  escape,  or  even  to  think  of  it,  was 
out  of  the  question;  and  when  we  had  asked  any 
of  our  guards  or  attendants  why  we  were  confined 
and  treated  as  we  were,  always  did  they  tell  us  we 


The  Fortress  of  Culpeedah.         149 

should  know  well  enough,  and  that  in  good  time, 
if  we  would  only  be  patient  and  wait  a  little  longer. 

It  now  at  last  looked,  as  we  rode  along,  that  the 
period  of  their  promises  was  about  to  dawn. 
True,  we  had  not  yet  obtained  an  inkling  as  to 
where  our  journey  was  to  end ;  but  early  that  morn 
ing  our  repose  had  been  broken  by  an  official- 
looking  Hindu  who  rode  into  the  garden  with 
much  pomp  and  conferred  with  our  chief  captors. 
Indeed,  he  was  a  very  large,  imposing  man,  with 
whiskers  brushed  back  like  a  grandee,  and  the  way 
•he  bustled  about,  gesticulated  and  menacingly 
grasped  the  hilt  of  his  tulwar,  made  those  to  whom 
he  gave  orders  execute  them  in  a  hurry.  Conse 
quently,  in  an  incredibly  short  time  we  were  made 
ready,  bustled  into  the  coach,  which  had  been 
brought  around  to  the  steps  of  the  veranda  for 
this  purpose,  and  out  on  the  road,  attended  by 
the  author  of  it  all,  like  the  rest  of  our  escort,  on 
horseback. 

Hence  it  was,  when  we  had  been  riding  for  some 
time,  that  Captain  Winslow  surprised  me  by  whis 
pering  discreetly  ^in  my  ear: 

"Hist,  Henry!  Hist,  I  say;  but  do  you  know 
who  that  big  fellow  is?" 

"No,"  I  replied,  equally  prudent,  but  alive  with 
^curiosity. 

"Well,  don't  let  them  see  that  you  are  surprised 
now.  It's  Pyu  Yet!" 

"Why,  Charlie!  He  must  have  been  sent  here 
then  to  help  us,"  said  I,  hardly  able  to  suppress 
my  excitement,  my  hopes,  doubts  and  fears,  as 
sweet  recollections  of  Zanee  Kooran  and  her  faith 
ful  servant  flooded  my  brain. 


150  Zanee  Kooran. 

"Shouldn't  wonder,"  he  answered  with  perfect 
nonchalance;  "but  keep  cool,  I  say.  Let  events 
take  their  course." 

Presently  we  were  all  startled  by  the  Sepoys 
shouting,  "Gliir!  ghir!"  (the  fortress,  the  for 
tress).  Peering  ahead,  we,  too,  caught  sight  of 
a  grim  old  pile  of  stone,  which  looked  like  a  castle 
of  the  Middle  Ages. 

Built  on  a  high  hill — a  stool  of  rock,  so  to 
speak,  occupying  the  center  of  an  arid  plain,  its 
great  walls  or  ramparts  could  be  discerned  even 
at  that  distance — three-quarters  of  a  mile  or  more. 
As  we  drew  nearer  I  saw  that  these  were  dotted 
with  embrasures,  out  of  which  peeped  the  muzzles 
of  more  or  less  cannon. 

This  was  merely  the  fringe  of  the  work,  how 
ever.  The  true  affair  consisted  of  three  tall,  cir 
cular  structures,  each  of  which  terminated  in  a 
conical  roof,  the  middle  one  being  the  highest  as 
well  as  the  largest ;  and  these  not  only  stood  in 
side  the  outer  walls,  but  several  yards  back  from 
them.  Indeed,  the  whole  constituted  a  regular 
citadel,  occupying  at  its  extreme  base,  I  afterwards 
ascertained,  a  good  rood  and  a  half  of  ground;  and 
as  it  was  approachable  only  on  one  side — up  a 
smooth,  bare  slope  and  finally  through  a  fortified 
gateway  in  the  rampart,  it  was  practically  im 
pregnable  to  assault.  For  on  the  other  three  sides 
the  rock  fell  away  with  almost  sheer  abruptness, 
where  from  its  summit  it  was  more  than  a  hundred 
and  forty  feet  down  to  the  parched  plain. 

Further  south  was  a  nullah,  a  small  stream  now, 
but  evidently  a  torrent  in  the  rainy  season,  and  on 


The  Fortress  of  Culpeedah.         151 

the  banks  of  this  stood  a  typical  Hindu  village, 
embowered  in  a  beautiful  grove. 

It  was  the  citadel,  however,  that  interested  us 
most,  for  there,  apparently,  lay  our  destination, 
and  as  we  drew  closer  to  it  our  guards  began  to 
shout  exultantly — all  save  Pyu  Yet.  He  main 
tained  his  composure  with  rigid  severity,  glancing 
neither  to  the  right  nor  left;  and  soon  we  heard 
answering  shouts.  Next  came  a  burst  of  martial 
music,  and  then  we  saw,  a  little  in  advance  of  us, 
and  headed  toward  the  castle,  a  very  imposing 
pageant. 

In  the  van  was  a  number  of  elephants,  the  fore 
most  one  of  which  was  draped  with  tinsel  and 
trappings  extraordinary,  while  from  a  platform 
on  its  back  rose  a  flagstaff  to  which  was  attached 
a  banner  right  royal.  This  was  surrounded  by  a 
squad  of  cavalry  in  dazzling  uniforms,  and  the 
whole  preceded  by  a  native  band. 

Likewise  were  the  eight  or  nine  elephants  that 
followed  richly  caparisoned,  the  largest  one  espe 
cially.  This  beast,  in  fact,  was  almost  concealed 
by  a  cloth  of  scarlet,  heavily  embroidered  with 
gold,  and  the  howdah  it  bore  was  gorgeous.  It 
was  composed  principally  of  silver,  and  sur 
mounted  by  two  domes  which  were  of  solid  silver, 
burnished  so  highly  that  they  shone  like  suns. 
Nor  was  the  interior  lacking  any  in  beauty  and 
splendor;  it  was  lined  with  sumptuous  cushions, 
curtains  and  the  like,  of  silk  and  satin,  and  all 
freely  adorned  with  gold  and  jewels. 

For  us,  however,  it  had  no  attractions,  for  there, 
in  company  with  several  other  dignitaries,  sat 
"the  Tiger  of  Cawnpore/'  Nana  Sahib ! 


152  Zanee  Kooran. 

Accordingly  our  spirits  sank  to  the  lowest  ebb. 
We  felt  that  the  hour  of  our  doom  was  close  at 
hand,  and  were  confident  that  we  should  be  sub 
jected  to  the  most  fiendish  tortures  the  Nana  was 
capable  of  devising. 

The  ladies  turned  very  pale,  and  I  am  sure  they 
would  have  fainted  but  for  the  reassuring  pres 
ence  of  Pyu  Yet.  But  of  what  avail  would  be 
his  strength  when  opposed  by  the  might  of  the 
Nana?  Ah,  cunning  and  diplomacy  alone  must 
be  employed  now  if  we  were  to  be  saved ;  for  fol 
lowing  those  elephants,  about  which  was  a  guard 
of  honor,  bearing  flags,  fans  and  spears,  came  foot- 
soldiers  and  cavalry  to  the  number  of  more  than 
three  thousand ! 

In  advancing  the  Nana  and  his  host  held  to 
their  original  course,  the  same  as  ourselves,  and 
so  we  did  not  fall  in  with  them  until  we  had  all 
come  under  the  frowning  walls  of  the  citadel, 
which  I  then  found  were  well  manned.  Mean 
while,  tents  had  been  erected  by  an  advanced 
guard,  and  into  one  of  these,  comparted  by  drap 
ery,  we  were  straightway  conducted.  Here  water 
in  which  to  bathe  and  a  change  of  raiment  awaited 
us,  and  after  our  toilet  had  been  performed,  we 
were  led  to  another  tent  and  there  served  with  a 
lunch  consisting  chiefly  of  fruits. 

While  we  were  partaking  of  this — for  the  jos 
tling  we  had  received  in  the  coach,  notwithstand 
ing  everything  to  the  contrary,  proved  very  appe 
tizing — I  was  given  an  exceptionally  large  bunch 
of  fine  grapes,  and  in  pulling  them  off  and  devour 
ing  them  came  upon  a  tiny  slip  of  vellum.  It  had 
been  deftly  tucked  in  among  the  stems  and  berries, 


The  Fortress  of  Culpeedah.         153 

and  I  now  as  deftly  tucked  it  into  the  hollow  of 
my  hand,  something  seeming  to  whisper — I  sup 
pose  it  was  the  impulse  of  the  moment — that  it  was 
intended  for  me. 

Waiting  with  suppressed  excitement  until  the 
attendants  were  a  little  less  observant  of  our  wants, 
I  stole  a  peep  at  it,  and — oh !  with  what  joy,  saw 
that  which  exceeded  my  wildest  hopes.  It  was 
a  note,  penned  in  a  fine,  delicate  hand — a  hand  I 
would  have  recognized  among  thousands — and  ran 
as  follows: 

"DEAREST  HENRY  :  If  this  reaches  you,  remem 
ber  it  will  be  through  Pyu  Yet,  whom  you  and  your 
friends  can  trust  implicitly.  Ask  no  questions  of 
any  one,  therefore,  but  do,  all  of  you,  as  you  are 
bidden.  Be  surprised  at  nothing — not  even  if  you 
should  be  brought  face  to  face  with  Zanee  Kooran, 
BEGAUM  OF  BENARES." 


Ah!  What  a  mingling,  what  a  compound  of 
rapture  and  yearning  swept  through  me.  Like 
the  ray  of  a  beacon-fire  to  shipwrecked  mariners, 
this  came  without  a  doubt  from  her  whom  I  loved 
best  of  all  beings  on  earth.  But  where,  oh,  where 
was  she  that  she  should  be  able  to  get  word  to  me 
so  readily?  And  what  did  she  mean  in  warning 
me  not  to  be  surprised,  even  though  I  should  be 
brought  face  to  face  with  her?  Had  she  placed 
her  head  in  the  Tiger's  mouth  that  we  might,  per 
haps,  be  snatched  from  his  claws?  I  found  my 
self  laboring  under  a  multitude  of  painful  emo 
tions,  and  that,  I  knew,  would  never  do.  No,  I 


154  Zanee  Kooran. 

must  control  myself  now,  or  it  might  result  in  no 
end  of  trouble. 

As  soon  as  our  lunch  was  over,  the  same  subah- 
dar  who  had  had  charge  of  us  since  he  saved  our 
lives  by  detaining  us  at  "the  slaughter  ghat,"  en 
tered,  salaamed  to  us  and  said : 

"Sahibs,  it  is  the  Great  Rajah's  pleasure  that 
you  and  the  sahibas  (ladies)  come  with  me  now 
into  the  gliir" 

Outside  the  tent  was  a  guard  of  ten  Sepoys,  with 
drawn  swords,  who  took  us  in  charge  and  escorted 
us  up  the  hill  to  the  gates  of  the  citadel,  which  we 
found  were  of  heavy  timber,  and  so  thickly  studded 
with  bolts  their  outer  surface  presented  the  ap 
pearance  of  solid  iron. 

Passing  through  these  we  came  into  a  court 
yard  of  considerable  size ;  and  here  I  observed  that 
each  of  the  central  structures,  in  addition  to 
round  towers  built  into  the  walls,  were  balconied, 
with  balustrades  of  massive  timber,  just  beneath 
or  under  the  eaves  of  the  projecting  roof.  They 
furnished  an  excellent  position  for  riflemen,  which 
fact  was  made  manifest  by  men  looking  down  at  us 
from  them  with  carbines  in  their  hands.  But  the 
tfhole  place,  for  that  matter,  presented  a  strong 
military  appearance,  the  yard  being  full  of  Sepoys 
who  were  armed  and  ready  for  action  at  a  mo 
ment's  notice. 

The  ihannadar  (chief  of  the  place)  awaited  our 
approach  before  the  grand  entrance-way  of  the 
main  or  central  building,  and,  having  given  us  a 
deferential  salaam,  he  conducted  us,  with  our 
guards,  into  this. 

We  entered  first  a  spacious  vestibule,  paved  with 


The  Fortress  of  Culpeedah.         155 

different  colored  marbles,  and  then,  after  climb 
ing  a  huge  flight  of  elaborate  stairs,  came  to  a 
wide  corridor,  with  several  large  doorways,  all  on 
one  side.  These  were  arranged  and  shaped  at 
their  top  somewhat  like  an  arcade,  only  the  arches 
were  indented  with  deep  scallops,  while  in  the 
spaces  above  and  between  them  were  carvings,  ex 
quisite  arabesques  and  immovable  processions  of 
people  in  whose  pose  expressed  there  on  the  stone, 
even  my  friends  and  I  could  read  many  of  the  man 
ners  and  customs  of  India. 

But  as  nothing  blocked  those  portals  now,  that 
which  lay  hidden  beyond  them  interested  us  more 
than  anything  else.  Indeed,  a  strange,  humming 
noise,  as  of  many  people  congregated,  issued  from 
them,  and  we  felt  that  there  our  next  adventure,  so 
to  speak,  would  occur. 

We  were  not  to  be  disappointed. 


156  Zanee  Kooran. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE  TIGER  SHOWS  HIS  TEETH. 

WE  were  now  conducted  by  the  thannadar  into 
the  audience  chamber  of  Culpeedah.  Here  we 
found  ourselves  in  the  presence  of  a  durbar  (court 
reception),  the  like  of  which  we  had  never  seen, 
and  which  I,  at  least,  have  never  forgotten. 

The  walls,  of  stucco,  were  draped  with  heavy 
curtains  and  tapestries,  which  were  not  only  glossy 
and  rich,  but  of  deep,  resplendent  hues ;  and  many 
a  fold  of  these  was  looped  back  here  and  there 
to  expose,  shyly,  some  magnificently  mounted  paint 
ing  or  Oriental  vase — ornaments  ostensibly  bor- 
trowed  from  the  bungalows  of  the  martyred  heroes 
at  Cawnpore.  The  ceiling,  too,  was  quaintly  and 
artistically  frescoed,  and  it  terminated  at  the  cen 
tre  in  a  large  rectangular  opening;  this  was  bor 
dered  by  columns  of  white  marble  inlaid  with  ara 
besque  work.  Beautiful  plants  were  attractively 
arranged  about  the  base  of  these  pillars;  and  to 
illumine  the  whole,  the  sunlight  streamed  down 
through  that  aperture  in  the  ceiling,  and  added 
charm  to  the  beauty  of  our  surroundings,  like  a 
gift  from  Heaven. 

There  was  a  dais  at  the    head  of  the  hall,  and 


The  Tiger  Shows  His  Teeth.       157 

there,  in  regal  splendor,  and  under  a  huge  canopy 
of  silk,  silver  and  gold,  sat  a  man  on  a  gadi 
(throne).  He  seemed  about  forty  years  old,  and 
was  very  fat.  His  complexion  was  scarcely  darker 
than  that  of  a  dark  Spaniard,  and  his  expression 
betokened,  on  the  whole,  a  jovial,  if  not  somewhat 
rollicking  disposition.  The  eyes  in  his  round  face 
were  very  wild,  brilliant  and  restless,  and  to  me, 
sitting  there  as  he  did,  he  looked  like  a  human 
tiger,  which,  in  truth,  he  was,  this  Nana  Sahib. 

Like  satellites,  several  of  his  chiefs  were  clus 
tered  about  him,  while  back  of  him  was  a  squad  of 
his  body-guard,  and  behind  these,  in  turn,  various 
retainers  and  attendants  of  his  court,  two  chobdars 
(bearers  of  sticks  of  office)  also  being  there  to  per 
fect  the  scene. 

Despite  all  this  pomp  and  show,  however,  and 
the  fact  that  we  were  at  last  face  to  face  with  the 
perpetrator  of  so  many  crimes,  our  interest  and 
enthusiasm  centered  upon  a  certain  individual  who 
occupied  a  position  a  little  to  the  right  of  the 
Rajah,  down  on  the  floor  of  the  hall,  and  away 
from  the  gadi. 

There,  ah !  there,  in  an  exquisitely  carved  chair, 
sat  Zanee  Kooran,  the  sight  of  whom  filled  me 
with  a  mixture  of  unspeakable  pleasure  and  sor 
row  :  pleasure  in  that  I  once  more  beheld  her  after 
passing  through  the  eternity  of  horrors ;  sorrow  be 
cause  she  was  apparently  so  hopelessly  and  help 
lessly  in  the  power  of  this  most  abominable 
monster. 

It  was  true  that  back  of  her  stood  the  giant,  Pyu 
Yet,  and  with  him  a  dozen  Khattriyas — all  stal 
wart  men  and  amply  accoutered — who,  I  subse- 


158  Zanee  Kooran. 

quently  learned,  were  attached  to  her  service  and 
ready,  if  the  need  arose,  to  lav  down  their  lives  for 
her.  But  what  could  they  do  against  such  a  host 
as  was  here?  Indeed,  enough  were  in  the  hall 
alone  to  overpower  them  several  times  over,  not 
to  mention  those  in  the  court-yard  outside  and  the 
thousands  mustered  on  the  plain  below ! 

And  yet,  it  was  not  improbable  that  there  might 
be  a  clash  of  arms,  for  little  either  of  homage  or 
of  deference  did  the  princess  and  her  retinue  show 
the  Sepoys.  I  was  astounded  at  this,  and  could 
not  divine  its  meaning;  I  could  only  think  how 
she  and  myself,  and  all  of  us,  for  that  matter, 
were  in  the  hands  of  this  man  whom  we  hated  and 
feared.  Following  the  tkannadar  up  the  hall,  sur 
rounded  still  by  our  escort,  my  heart  hung  like  a 
plummet  in  my  breast,  my  feet  dragged  as  if 
weighted  with  lead,  and  what  made  me  even  more 
dejected,  I  saw  that  my  friends  were  similarly 
affected. 

In  point  of  fact,  what  hope  had  we  there  ?  Not 
a  sign,  as  yet,  had  Zanee  Kooran  given  us  as  to 
what  we  might  expect  or  how  proceed ;  she  had 
not  even  glanced  at  us,  but  rather  dropped  her  veil 
the  moment  we  entered  the  hall,  her  apparel, 
which  was  of  silk,  being  made  in  up-to-date  Euro 
pean  style,  and  richly  adorned  with  jewels. 

At  her  feet,  though,  was  spread  a  leopard's  skin, 
and  on  this,  on  stools,  sat  the  two  ayahs  who  at 
tended  her  when  I  first  saw  her  in  her  gondola  on 
the  river  at  Benares. 

And  now,  having  arrived  at  the  head  of  the  hall, 
before  the  dais  and  to  the  feet  of  Nan  a  Sahib  him 
self,  the  thannadar  made  a  profound  bow  and 


The  Tiger  Shows  His  Teeth.       159 

stepped  aside ;  then  the  subahdar  who  had  been  our 
chief  jailer,  took  his  place,  similarly  bowed,  and 
said: 

"Great  and  mighty  Eajah !  Your  slave,  Koam- 
bux,  craves  permission  to  say  that  he  has  at  last 
brought  you,  safe  and  sound,  as  your  Highness 
desired,  the  five  Feringhees  whom  you  so  em 
phatically  commanded  him  to  preserve,  and  to 
feed  and  care  for  as  if  they  were  of  your  own  kith 
and  kin." 

"Where  are  they?"  the  Nana  asked,  without 
looking  up. 

"Here,  before  you,  my  Lord,"  the  subahdar  an 
swered. 

"You  have  done  well,  Koambux ;  you  are  a  good 
and  faithful  servant,  and  I  will  see,  in  due  time, 
that  you  are  fittingly  rewarded,"  the  Rajah  said, 
glancing  now  at  him  kindly.  But  to  us,  his  pris 
oners,  he  paid  not  the  slightest  attention. 

"And  now,  my  dear  princess,"  he  continued, 
turning  to  Zanee  Kooran — by  the  way,  the  confi 
dential  stress  he  laid  on  those  two  words  set  my 
blood  boiling — "may  I  trouble  you  to  inspect  the 
prisoners  and  see  whether  they  are  the  persons 
whom  you  want?" 

"Certainly,  Eajah.  But  suppose  I  let  Majub 
ask  them  their  names  ?  The  sound  of  their  voices 
will  decide  the  matter  just  as  well,  and  with  much 
less  trouble,"  she  replied  haughtily  and,  it  was 
easy  to  hear,  with  a  touch  of  sarcasm,  which,  to 
gether  with  the  longed-for  music  of  her  tones, 
tended  not  a  little  to  cool  my  sudden  anger. 

"All  right,  princess;  let  it  be  so,  then.     Your 


160  Zanee  Kooran. 

wish  is  my  wish,"  and  with  a  flourish  of  his  jeweled 
hand,  he  gave  her  a  tender  glance. 

How  I  hated  the  monster.  And,  more  exasper 
ating  still,  I  fancied  he  detected  it  and  took  de 
light  in  trying  to  make  me  miserable.  It  was  evi 
dent,  nevertheless,  that  he  loved  the  Begaum. 

Meanwhile,  Majub  the  juggler — for  he  it  was — 
emerged  from  behind  Pyu  Yet  and  the  Khattriyas 
and  approaching  us,  asked  each  of  us,  in  turn,  our 
name. 

This  ceremony  over,  the  monster  provokingly 
inquired:  "Well,  my  fair  one,  are  you  satisfied?" 

"Yes,  Rajah,  I  am  satisfied  that  these  are  my 
friends,"  Zanee  Kooran  replied.  She  would  have 
spoken  further,  I  saw,  but  at  this  moment  a  hul- 
kara  (messenger  in  livery)  came  hurrying  up  the 
hall  with  a  dispatch  in  his  hand,  which  he  gave  to 
the  Nana,  after  having  made  him  a  most  defer 
ential  salaam. 

"Princess,  what  means  this  about  General  Have- 
lode's  setting  out  from  Allahabad,  with  a  few  pal 
try  regiments,  to  force  his  way  up  here  ?"  the  mon 
ster  growled,  when  he  had  finished  his  perusal  of 
the  letter. 

"I  didn't  know  that  he  had  set  out,"  she  said  in 
suppressed  tones — tones  which  nevertheless  trem 
bled  with  joy,  as  likewise  did  the  hearts  of  my 
friends  and  me. 

"But  I  am  so  informed,"  he  continued,  his  face 
distorted  with  wrath.  "Fool!  Doesn't  he  know 
my  big  army,  with  so  many  great  guns,  will  cut 
him  and  all  his  host  into  pieces  before  he  can  get 
half  way  here  ?  Well,  it  can,  and,  by  the  gods,  it 
shall !" 


The  Tiger  Shows  His  Teeth.        161 

Thus  speaking,  he  signed  to  one  of  his  attend 
ants,  who  straightway  brought  him  writing  mate 
rials;  wherefore,  quickly  preparing  a  dispatch,  he 
sent  the  hulkara  off  with  it. 

Before  the  message  had  been  made  ready,  how 
ever,  Zanee  Kooran  bent  over  and  whispered  some 
thing  to  one  of  her  ayahs.  The  result  was,  the 
woman  rose  and  quickly  left  the  hall  by  an  exit 
in  the  rear.  When  she  returned  she  brought  her 
mistress  a  cup  of  water.  Her  going  and  coming, 
therefore,  attracted  no  material  attention. 

"Now,  my  dear  princess,"  said  Nana  Sahib, 
gallantly,  after  the  hulkara  was  dismissed,  "we 
will  settle  down  and  talk  business.  You  say  these 
Feringhees  are  your  friends.  Are  you  sure  of  it  ?" 

"Perfectly,  Kajah,"  she  answered,  without  a 
tremor;  "and  nothing  would  please  me  more  than 
coming  to  an  agreement  about  them  at  once." 

"Ho !  ho !  My  wishes  exactly,"  he  burst  out, 
giving  her  such  a  covetous  glance  it  almost  drove 
me  to  distraction. 

"My  dear  princess,  permit  me  to  say,  therefore, 
that  I  gladly  accept  the  terms  as  set  forth  by  you  in 
your  letter  of  June  the  20th,  and  will  now  pro 
ceed  to  fulfill  my  part  of  the  contract  by  turning 
the  prisoners  over  to  you. 

"Yes,  my  adorable  one,  they  are  yours;  do  with 
them  as  you  choose."  And  rising,  he  bowed  to 
her  reverently,  then  motioned  to  our  escort,  who 
straightway  lowered  their  swords  and  fell  back 
several  paces. 

Ah,  alone,  surprised,  grateful,  delighted,  we 
stood  there — my  friends  and  I — before  them  all. 

This,  then,  was  the  way  we  were  to  be  delivered  ? 


162  Zanee  Kooran. 

Truly,  the  Begaum  was  a  friend  to  us — aye,  a 
guardian  angel,  and  our  indebtedness  to  her  we 
could  never  hope  to  repay.  Nor  that  the  Nana 
was  not  without  his  good  qualities,  was  likewise 
manifest. 

And  yet,  in  standing  there,  we  somehow  did  not 
feel  at  our  ease. 

Oh,  words  cannot  describe  the  painful  pulsa 
tions  that  surged  through  me,  as  I  stood  there 
anil  saw  her  return  the  monster's  courtesy.  They 
simple  tried  to  outdo  each  other  in  mockery. 

All  things  have  to  come  to  an  end  some  time, 
however;  and  in  a  minute,  although  it  seemed  to 
rne  indefinitely  long,  the  Nana  was  again  seated, 
and  Zanee  Kooran  giving  instructions,  in  Hin 
dustani,  to  Majub  and  Pyu  Yet. 

As  a  conseqiience,  the  former  came  up  to  us 
and,  bidding  us  follow  him,  conducted  us  to  some 
chairs  set  a  little  to  the  left  of  the  princess — that 
is,  so  that  she  was  now  between  us  and  the  gadi. 

Pyu  Yet,  in  the  meintime,  having  left  the  hall 
by  the  same  door  through  which  Zanee  Kooran's 
ayah  had  passed  when  she  brought  her  mistress 
the  drink  of  water,  now  entered,  bearing  in  his 
arms  an  ebony  casket,  bound  with  fine  gold,  and 
inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl. 

Kneeling  before  the  princess,  he  held  this  out 
to  her,  while  she  deliberately  produced  from  her 
girdle  a  golden  key;  this  she  inserted  in  the  side 
of  the  box  and,  giving  it  a  turn,  threw  back  the 
lid. 

Now,  I  had  expected — and  so  had  everybody 
else  in  the  hall,  judging  by  their  appearance — to 
see  a  mass  of  glittering  jewels  exposed;  but,  lo! 


The  Tiger  Shows  His  Teeth.       163 

nothing  of  the  kind  occurred.  On  the  contrary, 
the  casket  seemed  to  be  quite  empty. 

It  was  not,  however,  for  reaching  her  hand  into 
its  depths,  Zanee  Kooran  drew  forth  a  roll  of  the 
finest  vellum,  which  she  now  held  up  to  the  Nana, 
saying:  "There,  Eajah,  is  my  part  of  the  con 
tract.  There  is  represented  the  crore  (million  of 
pounds)  you  implored  me  to  let  you  have  last 
March." 

"Ah!"  the  monster  exclaimed,  his  eyes  gleam 
ing,  his  fingers  twitching,  for  he  was  an  egregious 
prince  and  avaricious  throughout.  "Ah-h !  But, 
surely,  you  haven't  got  everything  there  made  out 
in  proper  form,  have  you,  my  dear  princess?" 

"Yes,"  she  replied. 

"What !  Is  the  whole  ready  for  me  the  moment 
I  receive  it?"  he  asked. 

"Certainly,"  she  repeated.  "You  see,  Eajah,  I 
didn't  want  to  delay  you  any  more  than  possible 
after  we  had  met — after  you  had  delivered  my 
friends  up  to  me,  and  I  was  assured  of  their  being 
alive  and  well." 

"Good!"  he  cried,  laughing  and  clapping  his 
hands;  then  he  signed  to  an  attendant,  whom  I 
took  to  be  his  treasurer,  to  step  forward  and  re 
ceive  the  coveted  document. 

"Yes,  Eajah,"  continued  Zanee  Kooran,  in 
sweet,  modulated  tones,  "I  wrote  you  that  this  sum 
should  be  yours,  if  you  adhered  strictly  to  my 
terms.  Is  it  not  so?" 

"Ah,  it  is,  my  adorable  one,"  he  answered, 
eying  her  as  a  tiger  might  its  prey. 

"Well,"  said  she,  absolutely  ignoring  the  treas 
urer,  who  was  now  cringing  before  her,  "I  must 


164  Zanee  Kooran. 

say  that  you  have  thus  far  performed  your  part 
exceedingly  well." 

"That  is  so,"  he  exclaimed;  "I  have.  You 
haven't  a  word  of  fault  to  find  with  me,  have 
you?" 

"No,  I  have  not,"  she  replied. 

"Ah,  just  hear  that  I"  he  shouted  triumphantly. 
"Just  hear  it,  though !  I  have  done  exactly  what 
Zanee  Kooran,  Begaum  of  Benares,  has  asked  of 
me.  She  says  so  herself,  and  it  is  so.  Can  she, 
therefore,  require  anything  more  of  me?  Cer 
tainly  not. 

"And  yet,  I  will  be  generous.  Oh,  yes,  I  will 
be  generous.  What  will  I  do?  Why,  grant  the 
five  Feringhees,  whom  I  have  just  handed  over 
to  her,  permission  to  set  out  for  Allahabad  at 
once — outfit  them,  in  fact,  for  the  journey,  and 
may  it  be  a  happy  one  for  them !" 

We — my  friends  and  I — listened,  not  in  the  least 
surprised,  though,  for  my  part,  I  experienced  a 
sensation  of  despair  that  paralyzed  and  sickened 
me ;  the  more  so  as  the  monster's  face  had  suddenly 
grown  distorted — aye,  as  a  fiend's  might  that  was 
inwardly  exulting  over  some  malignant  machina 
tion.  At  last  was  the  beast  in  him  beginning  to 
crop  out. 

Zanee  Kooran,  however,  was  apparently  as  calm 
as  ever.  Wonderful  to  relate,  she  seemed  almost 
to  be  deriving  pleasure  out  of  the  situation,  as  she 
said: 

"Ah,  good  Kajah,  I  am  so  delighted  in  your 
coming  to  the  point  so  readily.  As  regards  my 
English  friends  and  me,  you  have  expressed  my 
wishes  exactly.  Therefore,  I  will  only  trouble  you 


The  Tiger  Shows  His  Teeth.       165 

now  to  receipt  the  acceptance  of  this  paper" — she 
made  no  motion,  however,  toward  giving  it  to  the 
now  thoroughly  abashed  treasurer — "and  then  we 
will  proceed — my  friends  and  I — to  rid  ourselves 
at  once  of  your  kind  hospitality/' 

"Ho !  ho !  My  houri !  You  shall  do  nothing  of 
the  kind/'  he  snarled.  "Leave  me  ?  By  the  gods, 
no !  Ho !  /  am  lord  and  master  in  this  land  to 
day,  and  you  may  as  well  know,  first  as  last,  that  it 
is  my  intention  of  your  accompanying  my  court 
and  paying  me  a  visit  in  my  own  palace  at  Bi- 
thoor." 

"Why,  Rajah,  I  am  afraid  you  are  dreaming," 
she  said,  in  well-feigned  surprise.  "That  is  not 
our  bargain  at  all." 

"Well,  it  makes  no  difference,"  he  growled.  "I 
have  waited  long  for  you  to  visit  me,  and  now  you 
shall.  So  hand  over  that  document,  like  the  good 
princess  you  are,  and  I  will  see  if  it  is  correct." 

He  was  now  becoming  so  ferocious  and  menac 
ing,  the  colonel,  Charlie  and  I  had  all  we  could 
do  to  maintain  our  composure.  On  the  other  hand, 
however,  Zanee  Kooran  kept  perfectly  cool.  In 
stead  of  giving  up  the  roll  of  vellum  to  the  wait 
ing  treasurer,  as  commanded,  she  quietly  and  even 
tantalizingly  laid  it  down  in  her  lap.  How  so? 
Because  Pyu  Yet  now  stood  erect  at  her  side,  and 
owing  to  his  intimidatory  presence — he  had 
grasped  the  hilt  of  a  dagger  stuck  in  his  sash,  you 
see — few  men  would  have  had  the  heart  to  deprive 
her  of  it  then,  least  of  all  the  treasurer. 

"Come!  Hand  over  that  paper  at  once,"  said 
Nana  Sahib,  sternly.  This  seemed  to  be  the  very 


1 66  Zanee  Kooran. 

speech  she  had  been  waiting  for,  for  she  quietly 
replied : 

"Grant  my  friends  and  me  leave  to  depart  from 
here,  and  I  will,  Rajah.'* 

"That  I  will  never  do!  No,  by  the  gods!  I 
won't  give  any  of  you  permission  to  depart  now," 
he  cried,  with  great  emphasis. 

"Then  you  can't  have  this  paper,"  she  said 
firmly. 

"What  is  that  ?"  he  roared. 

"I  say  you  cannot  have  this  document  at  all," 
she  repeated,  unmoved. 

"I  can't,  eh  ?  By  the  gods !  we'll  see  about  that. 
What !  Do  you  think  to  thwart  me — me,  lord  and 
ruler  of  all  this  land?  Well,  know  then,  that  it 
cannot  be  done.  Ho !  Guards,  seize  the  Fering- 
hees  and  bind  them — every  one  of  them  !" 

The  colonel,  Charlie  and  I  leaped  to  our  feet  as 
one  man.  Several  Sepoys  stood  in  front  of  us, 
and  these  we  turned  our  attention  to,  to  ascertain 
how  we  could  best  get  possession  of  their  weapons. 
Now  that  the  moment  for  action  had  come,  we  were 
determined  to  struggle  manfully,  and  if  we  must 
perish,  to  perish  then  and  there. 


Confidences  Misplaced.  167 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CONFIDENCES    MISPLACED. 

WE  three  stood  there  with  every  muscle  set, 
every  nerve  strung  to  the  utmost  tension,  for  ac 
tion.  Ah,  let  any  of  the  Rajah's  guards  make 
but  the  least  motion  against  us,  and  we  were  ready 
to  spring  upon  them,  albeit  we  knew  we  should 
have  died  for  it  the  next  moment. 

Happily  for  them,  perhaps,  and  certainly  so  for 
us,  they  all  remained  perfectly  still.  Even  those 
who  should  have  assailed  us  by  reason  of  their 
being  nearest  to  us,  showed  no  inclination  to. 

We  were  beginning  to  wonder  at  this,  when  sud 
denly  Zanee  Kooran  startled  us  with  a  rippling 
peal  of  laughter. 

"Why,  Rajah !"  she  exclaimed  mockingly,  "what 
is  the  matter  with  your  excellent  soldiers?  Why 
don't  they  obey  you  better?" 

"Ho !  You  dogs !  Do  you  want  ta  be  taken  out 
and  made  an  example  of  before  the  whole  army  ?" 
he  asked,  turning  furiously  to  those  Sepoys  in 
front  of  us.  "Well,  then,  seize  the  Feringhees 
and  bind  them." 

"Sit  down,"  whispered  the  colonel  to  Charlie 
and  me.  "Sit  down,  I  say;  you'll  enjoy  it  bet 
ter," 


1 68  Zanee  Kooran. 

As  he  was  now  perfectly  composed,  and  very 
much  amused,  we  complied  with  him,  though  I 
was  not  yet  able  to  see  what  there  was  to  be  elated 
over.  True,  not  a  single  Sepoy  had  offered  to 
molest  us  so  far,  but  there  must  be  a  change  soon ; 
such  a  desperate  crisis  could  not  continue  much 
longer. 

Meanwhile  the  princess  was  laughing  again — 
even  more  insultingly  than  before,  and  the  Nana 
looking  at  her  in  surprise,  vexation  and  bewilder 
ment.  Probably  he  was  not  accustomed  to  being 
disobeyed,  above  all,  ridiculed  so,  for  forthwith  he 
called  out  in  a  loud  voice: 

"Koambux?" 

"Yes,  my  lord,"  answered  the  subahdar  prompt 
ly- 

"Have  your  guards  seize  the  Feringhees  and 
bind  them,  as  I  have  bidden.  Thannadar"  turn 
ing  to  the  chief  of  the  citadel,  "see  that  those  re 
fractory  rascals  of  yours  are  treated  in  the  same 
way." 

Thus  enjoined,  the  group  first  referred  to — the 
same  who  had  escorted  us  into  the  hall,  raised  their 
swords  and  rushed  upon  us;  but  hardly  had  they 
taken  a  half  dozen  paces  when  the  thannadar 
flashed  his  hand  upward  and  cried,  "Halt ! 

"Not  another  step,  Koambux,  if  you  and  your 
men  value  your  lives,"  he  said  quietly.  A  caution 
which  wa*  hardly  needed,  however,  in  that  their 
onset  had  already  been  checked  by  a  group  of 
his  soldiers  in  front  of  us,  who,  in  accordance  with 
his  signal,  now  menaced  them  with  leveled  mus 
kets. 

Had  a  bomb  exploded  in  our  midst,  we  could 


Confidences  Misplaced.  169 

scarcely  have  been  more  surprised.  Still,  it  com 
posed  me  somewhat,  for  it  showed  me  Zanee  Koo- 
ran  was  able,  in  part  at  least,  to  cope  with  the  mon 
ster;  the  more  so  as  he  at  once  sprang  to  his  feet 
and  cried: 

"Ho!     Treason!     Help,  help!" 

But  the  only  response  he  got  was  a  rattle  of 
arms  all  over  the  hall,  and,  looking  around,  he 
found  himself  and  his  court — chiefs,  guards,  at 
tendants,  every  one — covered  by  more  than  a  score 
of  Enfields  from  various  quarters. 

"That  is  right,  Bajah;  shout  away.  Indeed, 
shout  all  you  want  to,"  said  Zanee  Kooran  exult- 
ingly,  as  he  dropped  down  upon  his  seat  in  aston 
ishment. 

"What  does  this  mean,  anyway?"  he  growled  at 
length,  like  a  tiger  at  bay. 

"Why  simply  that  you  are  my  prisoner,"  she  an 
swered  sweetly.  She  was  determined  to  equal  him 
now,  in  mockery,  if  possible. 

"Prisoner!"  he  echoed,  with  an  expression  of 
terror.  "I,  your  prisoner?" 

"Certainly,"  she  replied,  with  perfect  complai 
sance. 

"Oh,  come !  This  is  too  absurd,"  he  said,  with  a 
disparaging  shrug  of  his  shoulders.  "How  can  I 
be  youi  prisoner,  pray,  when  surrounded  with  my 
own  men?" 

"For  the  simple  reason  that  they  will  no  longer 
obey  you,  but  rather  me.  You  see,  Rajah,  I  have 
bribed  them — hired  them  to  exchange  your  serv 
ice  for  mine;  consequently  this  whole  fortress  is 
at  my  command." 

"I — I  don't  believe  it !"  he  cried,  his  eyes  dilat- 


2anee  Roorari. 

ing;  "I  don't  believe  it.  What!  Would  any  of 
my  men  be  mad  enough  to  dare  serve  another  than 
me,  knowing,  as  they  do,  my  hate,  my  power — by 
the  gods !  How  I  can  hurl  thousands  upon  them, 
if  necessary,  to  crush  them?" 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment  in  the  chamber, 
as  he  glanced  sharply  around  to  note  the  effect  of 
his  speech;  but,  barring  our  escort,  who  had 
been  disarmed  by  the  thannadar's  men,  and  his 
own  retinue,  he  found  not  a  friend  present. 

Nothing  daunted,  however,  he  turned  and  ad 
dressed  those  in  his  rear. 

"Ho!  Guards,  chiefs,  attendants/'  he  said, 
"sweep  these  dogs  aside,  that  I  may  depart  from 
here." 

Instantly  there  was  a  renewed  rattle  of  arms 
about  the  hall,  and  as  a  result  he  and  his  retinue 
were  covered  by  as  many  again  muskets  as  before. 

"Ha,  ha !  Are  you  satisfied  now,  Rajah,  that 
you  are  my  prisoner?"  asked  Zanee  Kooran  tri 
umphantly. 

"Rash  girl !  What  benefit  do  you  expect  to  de 
rive  from  this  ?  Even  assuming  you  have  control 
here,  how  could  you  possibly  keep  it  when  I  have 
so  many  soldiers  outside?  Aha,  tell  me  that,  if 
you  please?" 

"Oh,  Rajah,  you  ask  too  many  questions,"  said 
she  provokingly.  "But  if  you  must  know,  why,  I 
suppose  you  must,  that's  all.  So,  to  begin,  allow 
me  to  say  that  I  hardly  expect  to  oppose  your 
soldiers  at  all;  no,  you  will  command  them  just 
as  you  have.  All  the  difference  there  will  be,  it 
will  be  unseen,  unheard.  You  see,  you  will  jour 
ney  southward  toward  Allahabad,  with  your  army, 


Confidences  Misplaced.  171 

but  it  will  be  in  a  howdah  all  by  yourself — yes, 
a  prisoner,  if  you  like,  for  the  report  shall  be 
spread  that  you  want  to  be  alone — ah,  why  and  for 
what  purpose  your  coming  here,  as  you  have,  so 
much  out  of  your  way  to  meet  and  decoy  me.  will 
evidently  inform  you  better  than  I,  the  intended 
victim,  could  possibly  word  it.  It  should  be  a 
pleasant  journey  to  you,  for  you  will  be  in  charge 
of  these" — pointing  to  her  Khattriyas — "who  will 
personate  your  chiefs  and  attendants,  and  issue 
all  mandates  for  you,  or  rather,  through  you  for 
me,  it  being  my  intention  to  accompany  you,  with 
my  English  friends  here,  until  we  meet  General 
Havelock,  when  you  and  your  army  shall  then  be 
surrendered  to  him." 

"Ho  !  But  I  have  already  ordered  the  dispatch 
ing  of  troops  who  will  cut  that  accursed  Fering- 
hoe  into  pieces,"  he  roared  exultingly. 

"You  refer  to  the  hulkara  who  visited  you  a  little 
while  since?" 

"Why,  of  course.    Whom  else  do  you  suppose?" 

"Ah,  Kajah,  you  are  putting  too  much  confi 
dence  in  that.  He,  let  me  tell  you,  has  not  de 
parted  from  here  yet — is  too  much  fatigued,  as 
it  were,  to  do  so." 

"Ho  !     What  do  you  mean  now  ?"  he  snarled. 

"Why,  just  what  I  say.    He  has  been  detained." 

The  monster,  in  the  meantime,  could  do  noth 
ing  but  glare  at  her  savagely,  and  mutter  curses 
on  himself  in  the  impotence  of  baffled  malice.  But 
at  length,  he  burst  out,  sneeringly : 

"Foolish  girl !  Don't  you  suppose  I  can  bribe, 
too?  What  will  you  do  with  my  subordinates 


172  Zanee  Kooran. 

here?  Do  you  think  that  they  won't  try  to  liber 
ate  me  when  they  get  the  chance?" 

"Yes,  Eajah,  I  am  sure  of  it ;  consequently  they, 
and  also  all  others  whom  I  cannot  trust  implicitly, 
will  have  to  abide  here  for  the  present  with  the 
good  thannadar.  Only  you  and  those  I  have 
mentioned  will  go  with  me  to  meet  Havelock ;  and 
if  we  fail  to  meet  him  because  of  any  misadven 
ture  to  my  plans,  mark  me,  I  will  have  matters  so 
arranged  that  you  shall  be  among  the  first  to  per 
ish." 

Her  voice,  as  she  finished,  was  cold  and  stern. 
It  indicated  she  was  resolved  to  succeed  or  fail 
utterly ;  as  much  so,  even,  as  were  her  ancestry  of 
old  on  her  mother's  side,  when  they  fought  for 
their  lives  and  liberty — aye,  when  they  struck  for 
their  altars  and  fires  at  Marathon,  Salamis,  Ther- 
mopylaj  and  the  like. 

"You  don't  trust  me  very  much,"  moaned  the 
monster,  in  quavering  tones. 

"Indeed,  why  should  I?  Have  not  enough  of 
my  friends  already  trusted  you  to  their  sorrow?" 

"Well,  if  you  refer  to  the  Feringhees  collect 
ively,  yes,  and  served  them  right,  too,  for  they  have 
robbed  me,  deprived  me  of  my  birth-right;  but  if 
you  mean  these  whom  I  have  brought  you,  why,  I 
swear  by  all  the  ancient  gods  that  they  cannot  com 
plain  of  any  ill-treatment  from  me." 

"That  may  be  true,  Rajah;  but,  just  the  same, 
you  have  threatened  them  here  in  my  presence. 
Have  you  forgotten  that?" 

"Oh,  princess,"  he  groaned,  "your  entrapping 
me  thus  isn't  fair.  Why,  if  I  should  now  fall  into 


Confidences  Misplaced.  173 

the  hands  of  the  Feringhees,  the  probabilities  are 
they  would  show  me  no  mercy." 

"Ah,  no  doubt  of  it,  Eajah ;  but  let  me  tell  you, 
you  would  be  treated  fairly,  nevertheless,  not  per 
fidiously,  as  in  the  case  of  General  Sir  Hugh 
Wheeler  and  his  men.  Just  keep  that  in  mind,  if 
you  please." 

"Sorceress !  Haven't  you  any  feelings  for  me  at 
all?"  he  shrieked,  his  eyes  rolling  a;  if  he  was 
already  confronted  by  the  spectres  of  his  victims. 

Thus  was  she  torturing  him,  when  we  were  all 
startled  by  a  strange  kind  of  humming  noise,  and 
the  next  instant  shocked  almost  out  of  our  senses 
by  the  huge  canopy,  suspended  over  the  Nana  and 
his  suite,  falling  to  the  floor  with  r.  loud,  resound 
ing  crash! 

At  once  all  was  confusion.  The  canopy  being 
about  three  yards  high,  and  long  and  wide  enough 
for  its  sides  to  enclose  entirely  the  dais  occupied 
by  the  Rajah  and  his  retinue,  they  were  effectually 
hidden  from  the  sight  of  everybody  in  the.  hall. 
Consequently  there  was  much  shouting  and  run 
ning  to  and  fro  by  the  thannadar's  men  to  prevent 
those  concealed  making  any  sudden  rush,  or  unex 
pected  break,  for  freedom. 

Zanee  Kooran  sent  Pyu  Yet  forward  to  restore 
order. 

This  the  giant  finally  did,  and  once  more  quiet 
prevailed  in  the  hall. 

Then,  the  rest  of  us  looking  on  with  bated 
breath,  he  warily  stepped  up  to  the  canopy  and 
made  a  slit  in  its  side  with  his  dagger.  Spring 
ing  back,  he  hailed  those  hidden  (as  we  supposed) 
within,  and  bade  them  come  out.  But  not  a  sound, 


2anee  Kooran. 

not  even  a  single  response  was  made.  Again  he 
called,  and  with  the  same  result. 

Gliding  now  around  to  another  side  of  the  can 
opy,  he  there  made  a  slit  in  the  silken  cloth,  and 
then  gave  an  exclamation  of  surprise  and  dismay. 

The  two  holes  he  had  cut  admitted  light  suffi 
cient  for  him  to  examine  very  well  the  interior, 
he  informed  us,  and — it  was  empty;  Nana  Sahib 
and  his  retinue  were  nowhere  to  be  seen! 

Again  confusion  reigned;  and  this  time,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  we  Europeans  joined  in  it,  the  prin 
cess  included.  Everybody,  in  fact,  threw  himself 
upon  the  canopy.  Poor  thing,  despite  its  rich 
carvings,  exquisite  coverings,  silver  fixtures  and 
golden  ornaments,  it  was  soon  reduced  to  a  skele 
ton — aye,  turned  over  and  cast  aside,  and  with  it 
the  dais  which  it  had  covered ;  and  there,  sure 
enough,  was  no  sign,  no  trace  of  the  Rajah  or  any 
of  his  suite. 

Where  could  they  have  disappeared,  we  asked 
one  another.  Ah,  where,  indeed  ?  Xot  a  door  ex 
isted  in  the  rear  of  where  the  dais  had  stood,  not 
a  passage  anywhere,  as  far  as  we  could  seo,  through 
which  they  could  have  escaped. 

Alas,  the  natives  shook  their  heads  and  said 
that  it  was  jugglery,  conjury,  necromancy;  and, 
really,  so  fruitless  was  our  search,  so  unavailing 
our  efforts,  we  were,  for  the  time  being,  half  in 
clined  to  believe  them. 

However,  there  were  the  ropes,  which  had  served 
to  suspend  the  canopy,  by  their  passing  through 
pulleys  attached  to  the  ceiling  for  the  purpose,  to 
dispel  this  theory.  These  had  been  severed  close 
to  the  rings  in  the  floor  where  they  were  fastened, 


Confidences  Misplaced? , 

^'  '  — -L,-  ^  _^* 

thus  giving  us  ample  proof  that  the  person' who' 
did  it  must  have  been  instrumental  in  spiriting 
them  all  away,  himself  included,  else  he  would 
never  have  resorted  to  an  act  otherwise  so  foolish, 
so  rash.  But  in  what  manner?  By  what  means? 
That  was  the  question. 

"Majub,  do  you  think  it  was  magic?"  asked 
Zanee  Kooran.  ' 

"No,  princess,"  he  answered/ 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  it  was  ?"  she  inquired. 

"0  princess,  I  can  hardly  say.  If  anything, 
though,  I  should  ascribe  it  to  a  hidden  passage, 
accessible  by  means  of  some  secret  door  or  mov 
able  panel." 

"Good  tJiannadar,  do  you  suppose  such  a  thing 
could  exist  here  ?"  she  asked. 

"I  don't  know,  princess,  but  there  might,  for 
the  place  is  very  old — was  built,  in  fact,  when  mys 
tery  as  much  as  massiveness  contributed  to  security 
and  defense."  .  * 

"Then  bring  axes,  picks,  sledges,  crow-bars — 
anything  you  have  in  those  lines — to  rip  up  the 
floor  and  tear  down  the  wall  with,"  said  the  col 
onel,  to  the  tliannadar,  authoritatively;  and  from 
that  time  on,  allow  me  to  say,  he  exercised  chief 
command  in  the  citadel,  and  that  to  the  complete' 
satisfaction  of  every  one  there. 

While  preparations  were  being  made  to  ascertain1 
how  Nana  Sahib  and  his  court  had  managed  to', 
spirit  themselves  away,  Zanee  Kooran,  with  Ve-j 
ronaWinslowand  Lillian  Richerson,  dropped  quiet-! 
ly  out  of  the  crowd  and  went  away  together 
through  a  door  on  the  inner  side  of  the  hall. 

Therefore,   having  not   yet   greeted,   nor  been. 


176  Zanee  Kooran. 

greeted  by  the  beautiful  Begaum,  and  dying,  as 
it  were,  to  fold  her  in  my  arms  and  to  hear  what 
news  she  brought — if  the  people  at  Benares  were 
safe  and  well,  and,  above  all,  to  learn  if  there  were 
any  letters  for  me  from  father,  I,  too,  stole  away 
at  an  opportune  moment  and,  with  a  wildly  beat 
ing  heart,  hurried  off  in  quest  of  my  betrothed. 

Beaching  the  door  through  which  she,  with  my 
friends'  wives,  had  passed,  I  found  myself  in  a 
narrow  passage — a  sort  of  an  ante-chamber,  and 
here  came  face  to  face  with  the  elder  of  her  ayahs, 
who  forthwith  accosted  me  as  follows: 

"Ah,  I  am  so  glad  the  sahib  has  come ;  the  prin 
cess  wants  very  much  to  see  him.  If  he  will  only 
wait  here  just  a  minute,  she  will  be  with  him." 
And,  gliding  nimbly  away,  she  darted  into  an 
apartment  at  the  further  end  of  the  entry,  whence 
issued  the  sounds  of  conversation. 

Another  minute,  and  oh,  the  form  of  her  who 
was  as  dear  to  me  as  my  own  life,  gladdened  the 
way ;  and,  we  each  hastening  toward  the  other,  she 
was  immediately  clasped  in  my  arms  in  silent  ec 
stasy.  The  joy,  the  thankfulness,  the  unspeakable 
gratification  at  our  being  again  united,  precluded 
between  us  both  the  power  of  speech.  Indeed,  I 
was  so  exalted  I  could  only  press  her  to  me  the 
closer,  the  more  tenderly,  she  the  while  nestling 
in  my  embrace  like  an  exhausted  dove;  but  her 
eyes,  which  looked  straight  into  mine,  shone  with 
a  gratefulness  that  seemed  to  partake  of  something 
else  than  earth. 

"Oh,  my  love,  my  darling !"  I  finally  managed 
to  murmur ;  "what  made  you  take  the  risk  of  ven 
turing  up  into  this  accursed  region?" 


Confidences  Misplaced.  177 

"Because,  dearest,  I  was  the  one,  practically, 
who  got  you  here.  Do  you  think,  therefore,  that 
I  could  leave  you,  my  only  hope,  my  sole  joy,  to 
your  fate?" 

"But,  darling,  judging  from  the  experiences  my 
friends  and  I  had  in  coming  up  the  Ganges,  I 
don't  see  how  you  ever  managed  to  get  here." 

"Ah,  Henry,  money  will  do  wonders.  And  then, 
if  you  only  knew  the  doubts  and  fears  I  have  had, 
the  heartaches  and  yearnings  I  have  suffered  since 
learning  of  your  danger,  you  would  begin  to  under 
stand,  perhaps,  that  my  coming  has  been,  a  com 
fort,  a  relief  to  me." 

"Ah,  princess,  we  have  all  suffered,"  I  said, 
"and  many,  alas,  are  dead.  But,  thanks  to  God, 
and  to  you,  the  colonel,  Charlie,  Lillian,  Verona 
and  I  have  thus  far  been  preserved  from  every 
harm." 

"Yes,  Henry;  but  not  from  the  ravages  of 
Father  Time.  See!  Even  your  locks  are  be 
sprinkled  with  gray ;  but,  dear  boy,  I  feel  prouder 
than  ever  of  y\»u  by  reason  of  them,  for  I  know 
they  belong  to  a  hero." 

"Then,  perhaps,  they  will  be  fit  subjects,  after 
all,  to  associate  with  those  of  a  heroine,"  I  said 
smilingly;  and  taking  in  hand  some  of  her  own 
raven  tresses,  I  kissed  them  reverently. 

"But,  darling,  there  have  probably  been  some 
trying  times  for  you  other  than  thinking  and 
working  entirely  for  us.  Is  it  not  so?"  I  asked, 
to  change  the  subject. 

"Yes,  Henry,  there  have  been,"  she  replied. 
"Indeed,  I  feared  at  one  time  the  Sepoys  would 
have  undisputed  sway  in  Benares."  And  then  she 


178  Zanee  Kooran. 

proceeded  to  tell  me,  briefly,  about  the  revolt  that 
had  occurred  there  on  the  4th  of  June,  and  how 
quickly  and  efficiently  Colonel  Neill,  with  the  as 
sistance,  chiefly,  of  two  hundred  Madras  Fusil- 
eers,  had  put  it  down. 

"It  was  from  those  brave  Fusileers,"  she  added, 
with  a  smile,  "whom  you  and  your  friends  sent 
back,  that  I  obtained  my  first  knowledge  of  your 
awful  plight." 

She  then  told  me  of  her  hurried  preparations 
to  rescue  us,  if  possible,  since  she  had  calculated 
from  the  first  that  Nana  Sahib  would  overcome 
General  Wheeler,  and  how  she  had  been  baffled 
and  delayed  on  the  journey,  especially  on  arriving 
at  Allahabad. 

There  the  revolt,  she  said,  had  been  terrible. 
While  the  European  soldiery  had  succeeded  in  de 
fending  the  fort,  the  mutineers  had  ravaged  the 
town  at  will  and  reduced  it  almost  to  a  heap  of 
ruins;  they  had  also  put  the  inhabitants  to  death 
unsparingly,  and  alas,  in  many  cases  with  the 
most  fiendish  cruelty. 

At  last  she  had  reached  Culpeedah,  the  point  she 
had  had  in  view,  won  the  thannadar  and  his  men, 
by  whom  she  had  found  it  garrisoned,  over  to  her 
side,  and  was  just  in  time  to  make  negotiations 
with  Nana  Sahib,  whereby  my  friends  and  I  were 
saved  from  the  wanton  massacre  at  Cawnpore. 

"Would  you  really  have  given  the  monster  a 
million  of  pounds,  as  you  made  him  think  you 
would?"  I  asked,  when  she  had  finished. 

"Willingly,  Henry,  had  I  known  it  would  have 
been  of  any  use.  But  I  knew  it  was  not,  and  so — 
I  intended  to  give  him  nothing ;  that  paper  I  made 


Confidences  Misplaced.  179 

so  much  of  was  worthless,  a  fraud.  I  employed 
it  simply  to  lead  him  on  the  better  in  attaining 
my  own  ends;  and  that  it  served  its  purpose,  my 
getting  you  and  your  friends  out  of  his  hands, 
testifies. 

"But,  Henry,  here  is  a  letter  for  you.  It  came 
the  day  before  I  left  home,  and  it  is,  I  think,  from 
Sir  Edgerton  Clermonte.  At  any  rate,  it  bears 
his  superscription." 

A  letter  from  home  ?  Oh,  how  my  heart  leaped 
with  joy ! 

It  was,  indeed,  my  father's  handwriting.  I  rec 
ognized  it  instantly. 

With  trembling  fingers,  I  tore  open  the  epistle, 
and  then,  with  one  arm  about  Zanee  Kooran,  read 
it  aloud. 

It  was  a  better  letter  than  I  had  ever  expected  to 
get ;  it  was  kind  even,  and  best  of  all  abounded  in 
parental  love. 

What  afforded  me  greater  relief  than  anything 
else,  though,  it  contained  no  allusions  whatever  to 
Lady  Katharine,  Lord  Listerton's  daughter,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  expressed  much  concern  about  the 
wonderfully  angelic  being — the  "priceless  pearl"  I 
had  found  in  the  East,  which  caused  her  at  my 
side  to  blush  not  a  little,  and  reprove  me  with 
many  a  melting  glance. 

"But  what  means  those  conflicting  reports  I 
hear  about  a  rebellion?  Is  there  really  going  to 
be  trouble?"  it  asked. 

"Oh,  my  son,"  it  read  in  another  place,  "if  you 
and  your  princess  were  only  here  to  share  with  me 
my  comforts  and  good  health,  how  content,  how 
happy  I  should  be!  I  know  I  shall  like  her — 


i8o  Zanee  Kooran. 

Zanee  Kooran — ah,  what  a  unique  and  pretty 
name — and,  as  you  are  well  aware,  it  has  been  my 
aim  to  see  you  properly  settled  for  the  past  several 
years. 

"It  warms  my  old  heart,  indeed,  to  hear  you  are 
quitting  yourself  so  creditably.  I  think  you  owe 
much  to  the  colonel  of  your  old  regiment,  and 
though  I  once  felt  like  cursing  him  right  roundly 
for  robbing  me  so  of  my  only  son,  you  may  tell 
him,  if  you  will,  that  my  house  from  now  on  is 
always  open  to  him;  thanks  to  him,  I  no  longer 
fear,  should  trouble  occur  with  the  natives,  of 
your  not  being  able  to  conduct  yourself  in  a  man 
ner  justifiable  of  every  Clermonte." 

The  thorn  of  pride,  you  see,  was  rooted  as  deep 
ly  as  ever  in  his  breast. 

"And  now,  Henry,  my  boy,"  he  wrote,  "I,  too, 
am  about  starting  for  India,  on  an  important  mis 
sion  from  the  Queen.  It  is  business  connected 
with  this  present  trouble,  and  will  eventually  take 
me  into  those  regions  where  you  are  stationed,  so 
that  sooner  or  later  we  may  meet.  Hence,  till 
then  may  the  blessings  of  God  attend  you,  and 
also  her  whom  you  extol  so  highly." 

There  were  tears  in  Zanee  Kooran's  eyes  as  I 
finished. 

"The  good,  noble  man,"  she  said,  drawing  closer 
to  me ;  "I  know  I  shall  love  him.  His  very  letter 
convinces  me  of  it.  It  has  been  the  potent  charm 
which  has  brought  us  two  safely  together,  I  do 
believe.  And  now — 

Further  speech  with  her  was  cut  short  by  tre 
mendous  shouting.  First,  a  babel  of  voices  arose  in 
the  audience  chamber,  proclaiming  that  there  some 


Confidences  Misplaced.  181 

.  /..load  of  discovery  had  been  made;  and  these  were 
accompanied  by  cries  from  the  outside — cries 
which  were  full  of  import  and,  as  we  were  to 
learn,  well  might  be. 


182  Zanee  Kooran. 


CHAPTEK  XVI. 

'MID    DOUBTS    AND    FEARS. 

A  FULL  minute  Zancc  Kooran  and  I  stood  still, 
listening  to  those  shouts  with  bated  breath,  our 
arms  twined  about  one  another,  not  unlike  a  pair 
of  frightened  children.  Then 

"Oh,  Henry !  What  can,  it  mean  ?"  she  whis 
pered. 

"It  is  more  than  I  can  conceive,  dearest,"  I  an 
swered,  in  tones  equally  subdued.  "Had  I  better 
go  and  investigate  ?" 

Before  she  could  make  a  reply,  there  was  a  rustle 
behind  us,  and  the  next  moment  we  were  both  over 
shadowed  by  the  broad  shoulders  of  Pyu  Yet, 
who  straightway  informed  us  that  "Majub  was 
right." 

"There  is  a  hidden  passage,"  he  said,  "and  the 
Captain  Sahib  Winslow  has  gone  down  with  a 
party  to  explore  it.  A  panel  corresponding  ex 
actly  with  the  wall  there  back  of  where  the  gadi 
was,  gives  you  admission  to  it,  and  it  has  an  open 
ing  outside  somewhere.  The  Eajah  and  his  reti 
nue  escaped  by  it,  at  any  rate ;  we  know  they  have, 
for  now  the  Sepoys  are  being  drawn  up  to  attack 
us.  Ho!  Don't  you  hear  them  shout?" 

"Escaped — the  Nana  has  escaped?    Dear  me!" 


Mid  Doubts  and  Fears.  183 

lamented  the  princess,  her  lips  quivering,  her  eye 
lids  trembling.  "I  had  planned  his  capture  with 
such  painstaking — was  so  confident  I  could  present 
him  a  prisoner  to  Havelock!" 

"My  poor  darling!"  I  murmured,  caressing  her 
perfumed  locks  mechanically,  as  if  I  could  thus 
allay  her  disappointment ;  "I  wish  you  might  have 
been  successful,  for  many  lives,  no  doubt,  would 
then  be  spared." 

"Ah,  I  am  sure  of  it,"  she  said;  "and  now — 
now  the  Rajah  will  be  more  vindictive  than  ever. 
My  God,  Henry !  Think  of  the  poor  creatures  in 
his  power  at  Cawnpore.  What  if  he  should " 

"Great  heavens,  princess!  Don't  say  it. 
Don't !"  I  cried,  recalling  with  horror  the  picture 
of  Sir  Hugh  Wheeler  and  his  men  in  their  last 
agonies.  "The  wretch !  The  monster !  He  would 
not  dare " 

"Pardon  me,  Henry,  but  I  believe — alas!  I  am 
positive  that  he  would.  Oh,  I  tell  you  you  don't 
know,  not  even  now,  what  a  demon  that  man  is; 
and  you  can't  begin  to  think  how  thankful  I  am 
that  you  and  your  friends  are  out  of  his  clutches." 

"Your  own  sweet  self  included,"  I  added,  with  a 
shudder.  "But,  my  love,  now  that  he  is  at  liberty 
again,  we  must  make  the  best  of  it,  and  endeavor 
to  protect  ourselves.  He  will  probably  strain 
every  nerve  to  recapture  my  friends  and  me,  and 
above  all  get  possession  of  you.  Therefore,  to 
come  to  the  point,  do  you  think  that  we  can  stave 
him  off  until " 

"Until  Havelock  comes?  Yes,  Hei  ry,  I  think 
we  can,"  she  said,  brightening;  "certainly,  if  he 
doesn't  attack  us  with  artillery." 


184  Zanee  Kooran. 

"0  princess,  he  has  no  big  guns  now,"  spoke  up 
Pyu  Yet,  who  stood  at  a  little  distance  from  us, 
with  folded  arms  and  a  meditative  air,  as  if  quite 
unconscious  that  there  was  a  pair  of  foolish  lovers 
before  him. 

"Good,"  exclaimed  Zanee  Kooran.  "As  long  as 
that  continues  we  shall  be  able  to  hold  out  fairly 
well. 

"You  see,  my  dear  Henry,  the  two  hundred  and 
eighty  odd  men  whom  the  thannadar  commands 
here,  are  all  reasonably  brave  and  very  good  marks 
men;  the  artillerists  are  especially  to  be  relied 
upon,  for  most  of  them  were  drilled  at  Cawn- 
pore. 

"Oh,  you  needn't  be  alarmed,"  she  hastily  ad 
ded;  "these  didn't  participate  in  the  siege.  I 
know  they  didn't,  for  they  proved  it  to  me.  The 
fact  is,  I  don't  believe  there  is  one  here  who 
fought  against  Wheeler  and  the  rest  of  you." 

"Well,  I  am  thankful  to  hear  that,"  I  said; 
"they  will  be  more  likely  in  that  case  to  stand  by 
us  better." 

"The  citadel,  you  see,  is  practically  in  the  hands 
of  my  own  Khattriyas,  and  their  fidelity  is  above 
being  questioned;  I  would  trust  them  anywhere. 
Moreover,  every  one  of  the  thannadar' s  men,  while 
serving  me,  receives  princely  pay,  and  they  all 
know  that  the  quarters  here  are  quite  secure. 
They  are  also  comfortable;  I  looked  to  that  when 
I  first  arrived.  To  be  on  the  safe  side  in  case  I 
did  fail  in  capturing  the  Nana — as,  alas,  it  seems 
I  have — I  ordered  at  once  plenty  of  food,  arms, 
ammunition  and  the  like  to  be  collected  here.  I 
would  have  had  horses  and  elephants,  too,  but  to 


'Mid  Doubt  and  Fears.  185 

get  them  was  simply  out  of  the  question.  Indeed, 
so  turbulent  were  most  of  the  districts  when  I 
came  up  the  river,  I  had  to  resort  to  boats  more 
than  half  the  time ;  and  on  arriving  here  I  found 
the  situation  worse,  if  anything,  than  at  any  other 
place. 

"To  return  to  the  subject,  however,  we  have  a 
strong  position  here,  and  are  exceedingly  well 
provided  for,  there  being  a  durable  well,  sunk 
through  the  solid  rock,  which  is  sure  to  supply  us 
with  all  the  water  we  shall  need.  Why,  then,  worry 
about  the  Nana,  if  he  has  escaped?  He  cannot 
harm  us — at  least,  not  right  away,  and  perhaps 
Havelock  will  come  before  he  reduces  us  to  sore 
straits." 

"But  what  makes  you  think  that  he  will  come, 
dear?" 

"Why,  Henry,  because  the  matter  was  being  ar 
ranged  when  I  left  home,  my  informer,  Colonel 
Neill,  not  knowing  but  he  should  have  an  oppor 
tunity  to  accompany  the  expedition.  And  then, 
didn't  you  notice  the  remarks  Nana  Sahib  made 
after  reading  that  message  the  hulkara  brought 
him?" 

"My  darling,  to  be  sure  I  did;  also,  the  adroit 
ness  with  which  you  parried  his  questions,"  said  I, 
embracing  her  gently,  and  getting  in  requital — 
ah,  what  a  ravishing  smile !  "And  perhaps  you 
learned  how  large  a  force  Havelock  was  to  have," 
I  resumed,  after  we  had  become  somewhat  com 
posed,  "and  of  what  regiments  it  would  consist?" 

"No,  I  did  not,"  she  replied,  regretfully;  "the 
fact  is,  I  am  not  quite  sure  that  had  been  an- 


i&6  Zanee  Kooran. 

y 

nounccd  yet.  But  I  believe  that  there  will  be 
enough  to  force  their  way  up  here. 

"Henry,  now  that  I  think  of  it,  there  was  some 
mention  made  about  the  Seventy-eighth  High 
landers.  Oh,  don't  fear  about  it's  not  being  an 
adequate  force." 

"Ah,  let  the  captain  sahib  wait  until  the  Sepoys 
have  attacked  us ;  then  he  will  see  how  we  can  beat 
them  of!,"  exclaimed  Pyu  Yet  at  this  juncture 
enthusiastically. 

Suddenly  the  report  of  a  rifle  rang  out. 

"Ho !  The  attack  is  beginning,"  he  cried, 
combing  his  beard  with  his  fingers  very  fast ;  "the 
attack  is  beginning.  Would  the  captain  sahib  like 
to  see  it  ?  Let  him  follow  me,  then,  and  he  shall." 

"Yes,  go  if  you  want  to,"  Zanee  Kooran  re 
sponded  to  my  questioning  glance.  "But,  oh !  be 
careful,  Henry,  not  to  expose  yourself  unneces 
sarily.  Should  any  accident  befall  you  now,  it — 
it  would  kill  me." 

"0  princess,  have  no  fears  for  the  sahib ;  your 
servant  will  watch  over  and,  if  need  be,  protect 
him  as  once  he  protected  his  little  Krishuna," 
Pyu  Yet  hastened  to  assure  her,  with  a  low  salaam. 

"Ah,  Pyu  Yet,  I  know  you  will ;  but  I  pray  such 
service  may  never  be  required  of  you,"  she  said. 
And  then,  having  taken  a  tender  farewell  of  me, 
she  went  to  rejoin  Verona  and  Lillian,  while  I 
turned,  reluctantlv,  to  follow  the  giant. 

The  place  to  which  he  conducted  me  was  a 
watch-tower,  or  turret,  surmounting  the  dome  of 
the  middle  structure. 

From  here  a  grand  view  indeed  of  our  sur 
roundings  could  be  had.  Not  only  could  we  look 


'Mid  Doubt  and  Fears.  187 

down  into  the  yard  protected  by  the  rampart  be 
low,  but  off  on  the  plain  around,  and  in  such  a 
manner  that  both  seemed  almost  to  lie  at  our  feet. 

There,  far  out  on  the  plain,  the  Sepoys  were 
drawn  up  in  line  after  line,  file  after  file,  forming 
a  column  very  much  longer  than  broad — a  de 
ployment  necessitated  by  the  narrowness  of  the 
slope  up  which  they  must  come  to  reach  us,  and 
for  which  reason  only  a  part,  a  very  small  part, 
in  comparison  with  their  numbers,  could  engage 
us  hand-to-hand  at  any  one  time. 

They  presented  an  imposing  spectacle,  neverthe 
less,  their  gaudy  uniforms  and  banners  and  glint 
of  weapons  showing  grandly  in  the  noonday  sun. 
Moreover,  they  were  shouting  in  a  manner  meant 
to  strike  terror  to  the  stoutest-hearted,  and  really 
if  it  had  not  been  for  that  massive  wall  round  the 
.court-yard,  I  should  have  felt  not  a  little  con 
cerned  for  our  safety. 

This,  you  see,  was  about  seven  foot  thick  at  the 
base,  and  (outside  measurement)  from  eight  to 
ten  foot  high.  The  top  was  provided  with  numer 
ous  loop-holes  and  embrasures,  and  these,  owing  to 
the  sharp  incline  of  the  slope,  were  almost  on  a 
level  with  the  surface  of  the  yard.  Hence,  access 
to  them  there  was  very  easy,  even  with  cannon; 
but  on  the  other  side — the  side  where  the  enemy 
must  come,  it  was  exceedingly  difficult  to  reach 
them. 

And  cannon  there  were,  of  small  calibre,  in. 
plenty,  trained  so  as  to  sweep  every  inch  of  the  slope 
up  which  the  enemy  must  come;  and  evidently 
they  were  loaded,  for  beside  them  stood  the  artil 
lerymen  ready. 


i8S  Zanee  Kooran. 

Eiflemen  were,  of  course,  stationed  the  whole 
length  of  the  rampart,  to  do  their  part  when  the 
proper  time  should  arrive;  and  since  there  were 
not  loop-holes  and  embrasures  enough  for  all, 
banquettes  had  been  constructed  between  them,  on 
to  which  almost  any  amount  of  men  could  leap, 
rise  up,  give  the  Sepoys  a  volley,  crouch  down 
behind  the  wall  and,  having  exchanged  their  empty 
muskets  for  loaded  ones  from  their  friends  in  the 
yard,  repeat  the  whole  over  again,  in  case  the 
enemy  came  too  close. 

There  were  also  men  in  the  round  towers,  and  in 
the  balconies  under  the  projecting  roofs  of  the 
domes,  watching  the  foe  with  carbines  in  their 
hands;  some  of  these,  even,  were  already  trying 
their  marksmanship,  and  as  a  result  several  of  the 
distant  Sepoys  had  been  seen  to  fall. 

Therefore,  Nana  Sahib,  or  whoever  was  in  com 
mand,  deliberated  no  longer,  but  sounded  the  on- 
Bet.  At  any  rate,  we  heard  a  bugle,  and  forth 
with  the  head  of  the  column,  with  a  prolonged 
howl,  shot  toward  us,  like  an  angry  serpent. 

What  induced  them  to  make  such  a  foolish  at 
tack,  I  never  learned.  Perhaps  they  thought, 
though,  to  surprise  us,  and  thus  overpower  us.  Had 
it  been  the  thannadar  and  his  men  alone  against 
whom  they  were  contending,  there  was  a  possibility 
that  they  might  have  done  something.  But,  un 
fortunately  for  them,  the  colonel  now  had  charge 
of  the  citadel,  and  this,  together  with  their  great 
love  for  Zanee  Kooran,  made  the  natives  under 
him  fight  with  nearly  as  much  courage  and  des 
peration  as  Sir  Hugh  Wheeler's  veterans  had.  The 


'Mid  Doubt  and  Fears.  189 

attack,  therefore,  was  repulsed  with  comparative 
ease. 

Astonished,  confused,  demoralized,  the  Sepoys  in 
the  forefront  became  panic-stricken,  and,  howling 
in  their  terror,  could  no  longer  be  controlled.  In 
deed,  they  turned  and  fled  like  madmen.  Accord 
ingly  they  spread  consternation  among  the  ranks 
'pressing  on  from  the  rear;  for  these,  not  under 
standing  the  cause  of  so  much  confusion — the 
.smoke  of  battle  now  enveloped  everything  before 
them  as  effectively  as  a  thick  fog — thought  that 
the  garrison  was  making  a  sortie,  or  else  an  un 
foreseen  force  had  come  to  its  aid,  and  joined  in 
the  flight.  Therefore,  the  whole  army,  greatly  to 
our  delight,  soon  broke  and  fell  back  till  even  out 
of  range  of  our  artillery. 

Thus  ended  the  first  attempt  of  the  Sepoys  to 
carry  the  ramparts  of  Culpeedah  by  storm;  and 
while  we  suffered  from  it  not  the  loss  of  a  single 
man  killed,  and  but  three  slightly  wounded,  their 
'dead  and  disabled  strewed  the  face  of  the  hill  to 
the  amount  of  nearly  three  hundred. 

We  were  invested  without  any  aggression  being 
frnade  by  either  side  for  about  three  days. 

The  only  thing  we  had  to  console  us  through  it 
all,  was  the  knowledge  that  Havelock  was  surely  ad- 
(vancing  to  our  relief.  We  ascertained  this  by 
sending  out  spies  after  nightfall,  who,  stealing 
into  the  Sepoy  camp,  mingled  freely  with  the 
mutineers  and,  after  gleaning  from  them  all  the 
news  to  be  obtained,  would  work  their  way  back 
again,  before  daybreak,  into  the  fortress. 

Indeed,  it  was  thus  we  learned  on  the  night  of 
July  12th,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  on  the 


190  Zanee  Kooran. 

morning  of  trie  13th,  how  a  big  battle  was  impend 
ing — aye,  had  probably  been  fought  before  this 
time,  near  Futtehpore. 

There  Havelock  must  meet  fifteen  hundred  Se 
poys,  as  many  Oude  tribesmen,  and  five  hundred 
cavalry,  with  twelve  guns;  and  that  the  Fering- 
hees  had  all  been  cut  to  pieces  the  mutineers  were 
positive,  it  being  a  position,  they  said,  that  a 
thousand  men  could  hold  against  ten  thousand, 
since  the  only  way  it  could  be  reached  was  by 
passing  along  a  road  that  led  through  a  swamp. 
Furthermore,  there  was  but  one  British  regiment 
of  the  line,  one  of  the  "plumed  regiments  with  bare 
legs"  (which  meant,  of  course,  the  gallant  High 
landers),  and  one  of  the  white  Madras  regiments, 
with  a  few  guns,  and  a  very  few  horsemen. 

And  now — now,  pretty  soon,  they  were  going  to 
subjugate  us.  Big  guns  for  the  purpose  were  al 
ready  en  route  from  Cawnpore,  and  when  once 
these  arrived  and  were  put  into  position — "Ho ! 
They  would  show  us  what  they  could  do." 

There  was  great  rejoicing  in  their  camp  just 
before  daybreak  that  morning,  and  supposing  it 
originated  from  their  anticipated  successes,  we 
gave  it  little  concern. 

But  when  daylight  came  at  last,  we  were  con 
fronted  with  a  danger  that  made  us  tremble  in 
deed.  It  awakened  us  to  the  fact  that  the  Sepoys' 
boasting  and  elation  had  not  been  so  vain,  after 
all. 


The  Worst  Apparent.  191 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    WORST    APPARENT. 

THIS  was  the  sword  of  Damocles  we  found  men 
acing  us  on  that  morning. 

Four  large  guns — long  twenty-four  pounders — 
were  arranged  for  firing  upon  us,  just  as  I  had 
foreseen,  from  the  crest  of  a  hill  next  to  us  on  the 
southeast.  They  had  in  all  probability  arrived 
from  Cawnpore  and  been  hauled  up  there  after 
the  return  of  our  spies;  and  now,  as  a  protection 
for  them,  a  breast-work  had  been  built  of  the 
stones  and  rock  with  which  the  hill  was  strewed, 
and  this  strengthened  in  front  with  sandbags.  It 
was,  in  truth,  a  regular  battery,  and  practically 
had  us  at  its  mercy;  and  as  the  colonel,  Charlie 
and  I  gazed  at  it  from  a  banquette  of  the  rampart, 
on  that  side  of  the  fortress,  surprised,  annoyed, 
dismayed,  the  captain  said: 

"Gad,  I  guess  the  rascals  '11  do  something  now." 

"It  rather  looks  that  way,"  said  I.  "Yes,  Char 
lie,  I  fear  they  have  got  us  foul." 

"Havelock  had  better  hurry  up,  then,"  he  con 
tinued,  grimly. 

"But,"  said  I,  "according  to  our  spies'  report — 
that  is,  the  Sepoys'  story — he'll  never  see  this  re 
gion  at  all." 


Zanee  Kooran. 

"Great  powers!  You  don't  put  any  faith  in 
that,  do  you  ?"  asked  the  colonel. 

"Does  my  appearance  indicate  that  I  do  ?"  I  in 
quired,  with  a  smile. 

"Ah,  Henry,  T  might  have  known  that  you 
didn't/'  he  replied,  good-humoredly. 

"Gad,  Sir  Henry  Havelock  isn't  the  man,  I  say, 
to  be  captured,  or  conquered,  by  a  Sepoy  host  in 
an  open  field." 

"I  agree  with  you,  Charlie,"  said  our  superior; 
"and  judging  from  that,  what  do  you  think — that 
he  will  allow  himself  to  be  delayed  by  one  long?" 

"No,  sir;  not  for  a  moment,"  came  the  quick 
response. 

"I,  either,"  the  colonel  replied.  "No,  I  believe 
he  will  put  forth  every  effort  to  get  here  as  soon 
as  possible;  the  lives  of  so  many  innocent  ones 
being  imperiled,  if  nothing  more,  would  prompt 
him  to  do  that." 

By  this  he  referred,  of  course,  to  the  captives 
of  Nana  Sahib.  And  how  did  we  know  that  Have- 
lock  was  aware  of  their  imprisonment  at  Cawn- 
pore?  Ah,  we  did  not  know;  but  we  hoped — we 
trusted  he  might  from  the  fact  that  Zanee  Koo 
ran,  attending  her  arrival  here,  had  in  due  time 
secretly  dispatched  some  swift  couriers  down  the 
river  with  an  account  of  it,  who,  if  no  accidents 
had  befallen  them,  must  have  arrived  ere  this  at 
Allahabad,  or  below. 

"Well,  it's  to  be  prayed  for  that  we  receive  suc 
cor  of  some  kind,  and  receive  it  soon,"  said  I. 
"These  walls,  I  want  to  remind  you — and,  under 
stand,  I  have  inspected  them — do  not  possess  qual 
ities  warranting  them  to  endure  punishment  like 


The  Worst  Apparent.  193 

Gibraltar.  The  cement  in  them  has  lost  its  vir 
tue  and  loosened  up  too  much  for  that." 

"True,"  put  in  Charlie,  with  a  sigh.  "And — 
gad!  the  worst  of  it  is,  it  is  from  up  there  that 
we  are  going  to  experience  our  first  trouble  and — 
perhaps  our  last,  unless  we  all  do  lots  of  ducking," 
pointing,  as  he  spoke,  to  the  stately  domes  above 
us.  "You  know  it,  of  course  ?" 

"Certainly,"  I  replied. 

"Well,  I'm  ashamed  to  acknowledge  it,  but  I  did 
not,"  said  the  colonel,  in  surprise;  "I  supposed 
they  were  in  good  condition.  However,  they  have 
received  but  little  attention  from  me  further  than 
my  ascertaining  that  they  are  well  supported  on 
the  inside  with  masonry  and  timbers. 

"Hi,  Henry !  What  do  you  say  to  taking  charge 
of  the  nine-pounder  here  and  treating  them  with 
a  counter-surprise  ?  It  will  be  perfectly  justifiable 
— don't  you  think  so,  Captain  Winslow?" 

"Certainly,  my  dear  colonel.  Gad,  a  guinea  on 
it,  though,  that  Captain  Clermonte  can't  reach 
them  to  any  effect  with  the  first  shot." 

"Charlie,  I'll  take  you  up  on  that,"  I  replied. 

"All  right ;  and  let  the  colonel  be  judge  ?" 

"Ye — es.  I'll  do  that,  too,"  I  answered,  being 
now  thoroughly  aroused. 

Assisted  by  a  Hindu  artilleryman,  I  took  extra 
pains  to  load  the  gun  I  was  to  use  accurately,  and 
likewise  sight  it,  albeit  the  latter  had  to  be  done 
right  in  the  face  of  the  sun,  which  was  now  bal 
anced  like  a  ball  of  fire  on  the  edge  of  the  eastern 
horizon. 

I  resorted  to  a  time-fuse  shrapnel  shell,  be 
lieving  I  could  gauge  it  so  that  it  would  explode, 


194  Zanee  Kooran. 

provided  no  accident  befell  it,  and  everything  went 
off  all  right,  near  enough  to  the  Sepoys  to  frighten 
them  at  least;  I  had  small  hopes,  you  see,  of  hit 
ting  them.  Greatly  to  my  surprise,  however,  and 
vastly  to  my  satisfaction,  even  joy — for  brutality, 
alas,  is  one  of  the  chief  characteristics  of  war — 
it  burst  directly  over  the  spot  where  a  number  of 
them  gathered,  showering  its  contents  on  to  them 
like  a  thunderbolt. 

"You  rogue!"  shouted  Charlie,  from  the  ban 
quette;  "I  didn't  say  anything  about  your  knock 
ing  over  a  half  dozen  of  them.  One  would  have 
been  sufficient." 

"Don't  mind  him,  Henry,"  vociferated  the  col 
onel  in  jubilant  tones.  "You  have  won  the  wager 
fairly  and  squarely,  and,  great  powers !  You  shall 
have  it." 

Meantime,  the  thannadar  and  those  of  his  men 
who  had  witnessed  my  good  luck,  showed  their  ap 
preciation  of  it  as  a  good  omen  by  giving  such 
lusty  cheers  they  made  the  very  stones  in  the 
rampart  vibrate. 

We  expected  them  to  open  fire  upon  us;  but 
no,  they  did  not,  and  why,  we  were  unable  to 
solve.  Satisfactory  as  had  been  the  results  of 
my  shot,  it  was  impossible  for  it  to  have  silenced 
a  whole  battery. 

What  did  it  mean?  Ah,  a  look-out  in  the 
watch-tower  of  the  middle  structure  suddenly 
called  down  to  us  that  he  had  just  caught  sight  of 
a  party  of  about  two  hundred  Sepoys  coming  from 
the  north  with  six  cannon,  to  which  elephants  were 
attached,  while,  in  the  rear,  were  three  ammu 
nition  wagons,  drawn  by  oxen. 


f  The  Worst  Apparent.  195 

"Gad,  it  promises  to  be  a  bigger  affair  than  I 
thought  for,"  said  Charlie,  bitterly. 

"Oh,  the  Nana  has  got  to  keep  up  his  reputa 
tion  for  making  a  show,"  I  remarked,  with  a  dry 
laugh. 

"Well,  boys,  we  know  now  why  these  rascals 
over  here  don't  fire  on  us,"  the  colonel  spoke  up; 
"they  are  biding  their  time.  But — great  powers ! 
If  I  see  how  we  can  help  it.  So  let's  do  the  next 
best  thing — namely,  go  and  get  something  to  eat 
while  we've  got  the  chance ;  we  won't  be  sorry,  for 
pretty  soon  we  shall  have  our  hands  full  of  work." 

Thus  reminded  of  it,  we  found  we  were  hungry. 
Accordingly,  arm-in-arm,  we  set  out  for  the  little 
square  marble-lined  apartment  adjoining  the  grand 
entrance  of  the  middle  structure,  for  this  we  had 
appropriated  for  our  dining-room. 

Here,  to  our  surprise,  we  were  received  by  Ve 
rona  and  Lillian  with  an  enthusiasm  staunch  as 
that  which  had  characterized  them  both  so  beauti 
fully  in  the  siege  of  Cawnpore,  when  they  were 
caring  for  the  sick  and  wounded.  Eeally,  the 
captain  and  colonel  had  each  of  them  cause  to 
be  proud  of  his  wife. 

Zanee  Kooran  was  also  there,  and  she  greeted 
us  with  a  warmth  so  gentle,  so  great,  it  bespoke 
volumes  of  happiness  yet  to  come. 

Made  of  teak  wood,  exquisitely  carved,  and  so 
hard  with  age  that  it  would  turn  the  sharpest 
knife,  the  table  was  covered  with  a  cloth  of  pure 
white  damask,  on  which  rested  gold  and  silver 
plate,  china  of  finest  make  and  mould,  and  crys 
tal  that  gleamed  in  the  sunlight  like  precious 
stones ;  and  these?  in  turn,  were  filled  with  viands 


196  Zanee  Kooran 

of  equal  quality — that  is,  as  far  as  our  having 
been  cut  off  from  outside  supplies  for  three  days 
permitted. 

Rice  in  various  forms,  was  there;  bread,  white 
and  flaky  as  new-fallen  snow  on  the  highest  Him 
alayas  ;  curries,  together  with  chutney  and  Bombay 
duck,  as  it  is  called  (a  little  fish  about  the  size  of 
a  smelt,  which,  on  account  of  its  being  cut  open, 
dried  and  smoked  with  assafoetida,  has  an  intol 
erably  disagreeable  taste  to  strangers,  but  relished, 
nevertheless,  by  my  friends  and  me,  as  is  the  case 
with  nearly  all  Anglo-Indians  once  they  have  be 
come  accustomed  to  it),  plantains  sliced  and  fried, 
and  fruits  (some  preserved  in  sugar),  as  grapes, 
plums,  figs,  dates,  bananas,  cherries,  pomegranates, 
and  watermelons;  also,  a  few  freshly  roasted  Ca- 
bhew  nuts,  with  tea,  coffee  and  the  like  in  abun 
dance. 

Before  we  sat  down  to  this,  at  the  princess's  re 
quest,  we  knelt  with  her  there,  and  fervently 
united  in  asking  strength  and  guidance  for  the 
dark,  uncertain  days  to  come. 

Then,  after  we  were  all  seated,  she  told  us  that 
she  had  just  assumed,  through  her  servant,  Pyu 
Yet,  the  responsibility  of  giving  Koambux  and  his 
followers — the  subahdar  and  escort  who  had  pre 
sented  my  friends  and  me  to  Nana  Sahib  in  the 
audience  chamber,  and  whom  we  had  held  prison 
ers  up  to  this  time — permission  to  take  part  in  the 
defense. 

"They  begged  it  of  me,"  she  said,  "declaring 
that  they  now  dread  to  go  back  to  the  Rajah  under 
any  condition,  lest  he  in  his  disappointment  and 
rage  should  inflict  upon  them  some  terrible  pun- 


The  Worst  Apparent.  197 

ishment,  and  perhaps  put  them  to  death.  I  hope, 
my  friends,  you  don't  disapprove  of  what  I  have 
done?" 

Ah,  how  could  we?  Moreover,  we  were  influ 
enced  in  favor  of  these  men  from  the  fact  that 
they  had  treated  us  kindly  while  our  captors, 
though  that,  of  course,  was  probably  due  to  the 
Nana's  orders.  But  it  would — it  could  do  no 
harm  to  give  them  a  trial;  if  they  were  not 
friendly  disposed  toward  us,  the  ihannadar's 
soldiers,  whom  we  knew  we  could  trust,  would 
soon  find  it  out  for  us. 

"They  will  prove  faithful,  unless  I  am  greatly 
mistaken,"  said  Zanee  Kooran,  and,  as  it  turned 
out,  they  did. 

"What  of  our  situation  now?"  asked  the  prin 
cess.  "Do  you  think  we  can  hold  out  until  Have- 
lock  comes?" 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  the  colonel. 

"The  Sepoys  are  going  to  fire  upon  us  with  ar 
tillery — long,  heavy  siege-guns — are  they  not?" 

"Alas,  princess,  we  fear  so,"  said  I. 

"Well,  I  have  expected  it,"  she  continued ;  "yes, 
I  have  expected  it,  and  greatly  regret  that  we 
possess  no  better  means  than  we  do  of  resisting 
them  in  that  line.  We  shall  have  to  remain,  for 
all  I  see,  where  it  is  safest  and  let  them  bombard 
us ;  then,  when  they  attempt  to  storm  the  ramparts 
— as  they  sooner  or  later  will — spring  out  and 
try  to  beat  them  off.  In  that  way  we  may  be 
able  to  hold  out  for  several  days;  and  if  we  can, 
we  shall  be  saved.  For  if  Havelock  was  at  Fut- 
tehpore  yesterday,  he  certainly  should  get  here  by 
the  day  after  to-morrow.  And  I  tell  you  what  WQ 


I 

198  Zanee  Kooran. 

will  do;  we  will  dispatch  some  swift  messengers 
to-night,  to  hurry  him  up." 

"A  good  idea,"  exclaimed  the  colonel,  "though 
I  don't  think  he  will  need  much  prompting." 

"That  may  be,"  she  said ;  "but  it  is  a  precaution 
that  will  do  no  harm.  You  see,  the  Sepoys  may 
try  to  draw  his  course  away  from  here,  and  in  that 
case  it  might  do  us  a  world  of  good." 

When  the  meal  was  finished,  we  officers  went  out 
and  ascended  the  long  winding  staircase  leading 
to  the  turret  above,  to  see  what  news  we  could 
learn  of  the  enemy's  guns  which  were  en  route 
from  the  north.  We  found  them  to  be  long 
/  twenty^pounders,  like  those  trained  on  us  upon  the 
'  southeast,  and  the  Sepoys,  having  now  approached 
with  them  as  near  as  they  dared  to  the  citadel, 
were  busy  unlimbering  and  getting  them  into  posi 
tion  for  business. 

They  did  not  send  in  a  demand  for  surrender — 
they  knew  well  enough,  no  doubt,  that  it  would 
have  been  peremptorily  refused — but,  at  last 
having  everything  in  order,  they  suddenly  opened 
the  expected  bombardment  with  a  tremendous 
crash. 

To  this  we  replied  for  a  while  with  our  lighter 
ordnance,  but,  after  losing  several  of  our  best 
gunners,  and  having  as  yet  inflicted  no  material 
loss  on  the  enemy,  gave  it  up,  and  sought  shelter 
inside  the  main  structures.  There  was  no  other 
course  left  us.  Notwithstanding  our  superior 
height,  we  could  not  even  silence  that  battery  on 
the  hill,  much  less  the  one  on  the  north;  and  to 
stay  in  the  court-yard  long  at  any  point,  was  to 
court  death  to  no  purpose  from  cannon-balls  and 


The  Worst  Apparent.  199 

falling  stones.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  a  whole  mass 
of  masonry  would  occasionally  give  way  and,  tum 
bling  down  with  a  thundering  roar,  jar  the  cita 
del  like  an  earthquake.  Moreover,  just  as  Captain 
Winslow  and  I  had  predicted,  the  roofing  on  the 
domes  was  knocked  off  very  fast,  and  this,  in  fall 
ing,  added  not  a  little  to  the  general  noise  and 
confusion.  We  were  half-blinded  by  the  chick 
dust. 

Fresh  guns  were  added  to  the  battery  on  the 
north.  The  constant  hail  of  shot  rained  upon  us 
incessantly  night  and  day,  and  grew  daily  more 
terrific.  In  point  of  truth  the  only  thing  that 
saved  us  from  having  the  fortress  completely  bat 
tered  down,  was  its  elevation  above  the  plain.  The 
enemy  tried  on  several  different  occasions  to  .steal 
up  under  cover  of  their  own  fire  and  carry  the  ram 
parts  by  surprise.  Hence  we  had  to  be  ever  on  the 
alert,  and  in  repelling  one  of  these  attacks,  Cap 
tain  Winslow  received  a  grievous  scalp  wound 
from  a  fragment  of  granite. 

Inside  the  fortress  there  was  no  peace  for  us. 
As  the  bombardment  progressed,  many  of  the  fiery 
missiles  that  struck  the  walls  would  pass  through 
the  windows  or  loop-holes,  and  often  we  had  to 
carry  up  water  to  extinguish  the  fires  thus  started. 

But  through  the  ever-present  danger,  we  re 
mained  unshaken  in  our  determination  to  hold 
out  as  long  as  possible,  and,  for  inflexibility  of 
will  and  dauntlessness  of  spirit  in  so  doing,  none 
towered  higher  among  us  than  Zanee  Kooran.  She 
took  part  with  unabating  zeal  in  the  work  of  de 
fense,  and  inspired  the  tliannadar's  men  as,  I  am 
sure,  no  one  else,  could  have  done. 


2oo  Zanee  Kooran. 

We  maintained  our  position  with  dogged  resist 
ance,  through  what  seemed  an  endless  period  of 
war  and  tumult,  until  the  morning  of  July  16th, 
when,  a  little  after  sunrise,  the  roaring  of  the 
enemy's  guns  somewhat  slackened,  and  then,  to 
our  surprise,  about  noon  ceased  altogether. 

This  brought  on  an  ominous  silence,  for,  al 
though  there  was  much  activity  in  the  Sepoy  camp, 
it  was  silence  to  us,  and  we  accordingly  all  drew 
breath,  almost  daring  to  hope  for  a  space  of  rest ; 
also,  that  Havelock  might  be  coming:  We  looked 
eagerly  for  him  and  his  army  now,  this  being  the 
day  when  he  should  arrive. 

Strain  our  aching  eyes  as  much  as  we  would, 
however,  he  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Doubt  and 
anguish  seized  us,  therefore,  and  when,  a  little 
after  noon,  we  saw  the  mutineers  begin  to  mass 
out  on  the  plain  to  the  north,  our  anxiety  changed 
to  terror.  We  now  perceived  that  they  were  going 
to  storm  the  ramparts,  and  it  did  not  seem  prob 
able  to  us  they  would  attempt  that  if  Havelock 
was  close  at  hand.  We  were  at  last  face  to  face 
with  the  time  when  we  must  make  a  desperate  de 
fense — aye,  the  defense  of  our  lives. 


"To  the  Pipers'  Playing/'        2ot 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

"TO  THE  SKIRL  OF  THE  PIPEKS'  PLAYING." 

THE  next  half  hour  was  a  busy  one  with  us. 
There  was  much  to  do,  no  time  to  do  it  in,  and 
above  all  no  artillery  to  rely  upon,  every  gun 
having  been  dismantled  by  the  fallen  masonry, 
which  choked  the  court-yard  around,  on  every  side, 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

But,  for  that  matter,  the  whole  fortress  pre 
sented  a  sad  spectacle.  Nearly  all  the  metallic 
roofing  had  been  torn  off  the  three  great  domes, 
and  owing  to  the  hill  battery  on  the  southeast, 
the  watch-tower  of  the  middle  structure  no  longer 
stood;  only  the  foundation  to  it  was  left,  and  that 
looked  like  the  stump  of  a  broken  mainmast  on  a 
wrecked  vessel.  Most  of  the  round  towers  on  the 
north  side  were  also  gone,  and  all  the  wooden  bal 
conies  there  either  burned  or  knocked  away.  In 
some  places  nothing  was  standing  but  the  jagged 
walls. 

As  to  the  ramparts,  they  had  suffered  even  more 
severely.  Those  facing  the  southeast  were  com 
pletely  demolished,  and  the  walls  back  of  them  so 
badly  battered  that  it  was  only  a  question  of  time, 


Zanee  Kooran. 

should  the  bombardment  be  resumed,  when  the 
apartments  in  the  line  of  fire,  which  were  used  to 
quarter  some  of  the  thannadar's  soldiers  in,  would 
have  to  be  abandoned. 

On  the  north  side  the  gates  had  also  been  shiv 
ered  into  splinters  and  finally  burned,  and  to  the 
right  of  them  yawned  a  breach  in  the  rampart 
practicable  for  assault.  Now  that  the  critical 
moment  so  long  waited  for  was  at  hand,  we  pre 
pared  as  best  we  could,  to  occupy  every  nook  and 
cranny  offered  us,  from  which  a  musket  could  be 
fired,  and  for  disputing  that  gap  in  the  rampart 
and  the  broken  gateway,  we  constructed  crude 
breast-works  which,  when  completed,  extended  in 
the  form  of  a  crescent,  some  twenty  feet  or  more 
back,  behind  each  of  the  apertures. 

We  brought  out  grenades  and  canisters  to  throw 
at  the  enemy — no  desirable  things  to  encounter, 
especially  the  canisters,  which  were  filled  to  the 
mouth  with  powder  and  balls,  we  having  prepared 
these  beforehand  for  emergency,  their  manipula 
tion  depending  on  a  short  fuse  attached,  and  cords 
fastened  round  them,  by  means  of  which  they 
could  be  pitched  a  considerable  distance  from  such 
elevated  positions  as  the  uppermost  part  of  the 
fortress  afforded. 

Just  now  a  vague  hope  had  sprung  up  in  our 
hearts  that  we  might  yet  be  saved. 

The  Sepoys  were  acting  strangely.  By  aid  of 
the  glass  we  saw  the  officers  were  haranguing  the 
privates,  and  all  seemed  to  be  greatly  alarmed. 

The  colonel  and  I,  in  company  with  Koambux, 
stood  on  a  projection  of  the  walls  above  the  grand 
entrance  of  the  middle  edifice,  where  we  had 


"To  the  Pipers'  Playing."         203 

climbed,  at  the  risk  of  our  lives,  to  see  if  we  could 
ascertain  the  cause  of  the  enemy's  unaccountable 
behavior.  We  were  suddenly  startled  by  a  dull 
distant  sound,  it  being  followed  by  another,  and 
still  another. 

"Cannon  !     Cannon !"  cried  the  colonel. 

"Ho!  They  are  big  guns,"  corroborated  the 
subdhdar. 

"Yes,  that  is  artillery;  unquestionably  it  is," 
said  I,  in  quavering  tones.  "There  must  be  a  battle 
in  progress  somewhere.  That  explains  the  en 
emy's  conduct.  Havelock  is  coming,  and  they 
know  it,  and — "  But  my  companions,  I  found, 
were  no  longer  listening  to  me ;  instead  they  were 
shouting  the  glad  tidings  to  our  friends  in  the 
court-yard. 

There  was  an  outburst  of  cheers,  and  then  an 
other  and  another,  and  next  I  caught  the  words, 
"Ho !  See  the  captain  sahib.  See  him,  see  him ! 
May  Brahma  will  it  to  protect  him  hereafter  from 
every  harm!" 

Finding  this  enthusiasm  was  directed  to  some 
one  we  could  not  see,  we  scrambled  down,  and 
there,  in  the  grand  entranceway  of  the  middle 
structure,  saw  Charlie  Winslow! 

His  head  was  swathed  with  a  bandage,  for  he 
had  far  from  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his 
hurt;  but  the  light  of  battle  shone  in  his  eye, 
and  he  had  buckled  on  the  belt  containing  his 
sword  and  revolvers,  while  in  his  hand  he  grasped 
an  Enfield. 

"Hey,  colonel!  Where  do  you  want  me?"  he 
asked,  grimly,  when  the  ovation  given  him  had 
somewhat  subsided. 


2b4  Zanee  Koorah. 

"Great  powers !  Back  from  whence  you  came,'* 
said  Richerson,  with  vehemence. 

"Gad,  colonel,  not  much;  I'm  here  to  fight. 
No,  no  more  of  that  dark  hole  for  me — at  least, 
not  at  present.  So  where  shall  I  post  myself,  I 
say — down  there  at  the  gateway,  or  up  on  the  walls 
and  oversee  the  throwing  of  the  canisters  ?" 

"Oh,  if  you're  bound  to  stay,  Charlie,  up  there 
by  all  odds.  The  fact  is,  that  is  just  where  we 
need  a  cool  head  and  trusty  hand.  But — great 
powers !  Are  you  not  afraid  you'll  fall  and  break 
your  neck?" 

"Gad,  I  could  climb  the  Eock  of  Ages  to  get  one 
more  whack  at  the  rascals.  But,  look  out,  now; 
look  out,  I  say,  for  here  they  come !" 

"Ha!  Every  man  to  his  post,"  shouted  the 
colonel ;  and  forthwith  he,  with  the  thannadar  and 
Majub  the  juggler,  took  charge  of  the  defense  at 
the  breach  in  the  rampart,  while  Pyu  Yet  and  I 
assumed  command  of  those  at  the  ruined  gate, 
Koambux,  in  the  meantime,  assisting  Captain 
Winslow  up  to  the  position  assigned  him. 

Then,  in  stern  silence,  we  awaited  the  approach 
of  the  enemy,  who  were  now  swarming  about  the 
foot  of  the  hill  in  a  dense  mass,  those  in  the  rear 
urging  the  foremost  on  with  wild  shouts  and  a 
great  beating  of  drums. 

Being  brought  to  a  halt,  since  only  a  few  of 
them  in  comparison  with  their  numbers  could  as 
cend  the  narrow  neck-like  surface  of  the  slope  at 
a  time,  the  main  body  spread  out  on  the  plain  and 
opened  such  a  tremendous  fusillade  that  the  bullets 
pattered  against  the  walls  of  the  ramparts  and  the 
central  structures,  like  rain.  Indeed,  volley  after 


"To  the  Pipers'  Playing."         26$ 

volley  succeeded  the  other  so  rapidly,  it  was  not 
long  before  the  mutineers  were  enveloped  in  a  per 
fect  cloud  of  smoke  from  their  own  muskets. 
Whereupon  a  series  of  frightful  yells  rang  out 
close  at  hand,  and  we  knew  they  were  nearing  the 
ramparts. 

The  first  to  face  us  was  a  detachment  of  Sepoys, 
who,  by  the  uniforms  they  wore,  had  belonged  to 
the  Fifty-sixth  Eegiment  of  Native  Infantry, 
which  had  been  stationed  at  Cawnpore.  These 
were  followed  by  tribemen — mostly  Mussulmans 
of  the  Oude. 

Tumultuously — aye,  like  a  tidal  wave  that 
rolled,  they  rose,  and  we  allowed  them,  it  being  our 
purpose  to  have  them  get  as  close  as  possible  before 
we  tried  to  check  them  with  a  single  shot. 

Our  silence  must  have  awed  them  with  a  sense 
of  unknown  danger.  At  any  rate,  when  about 
thirty  paces  off  they  halted,  and  the  Sepoys  de 
livered  a  volley.  Then,  encouraged,  as  it  seemed, 
by  their  own  noise,  and  also  urged  on  by  their 
officers  and  those  in  the  rear  of  them,  they  again 
sprang  forward — this  time  with  fixed  bayonets. 

Now  it  was  that  the  colonel  gave  the  blast  with 
his  bugle,  so  that  ere  any  of  them  had  reached 
the  lower  edge  of  the  rampart,  a  dozen  dark  ob 
jects  sailed  down  over  our  heads,  like  vultures, 
and  landed  in  the  midst  of  them. 

Instantly  there  rose  such  a  howling  as  I  never 
had  heard.  Finding  themselves  in  a  trap,  as  it 
were,  the  Sepoys  desired  to  retreat,  but  pushed  on 
from  behind,  could  not.  Consequently  they  per 
ished  on  the  spot,  for  those  not  killed  outright  by 
the  exploding  of  the  canisters  and  grenades,  were 


206  Zanee  Kooran. 

cut  down  by  the  on-coming  Mussulmans,  who 
were  very  courageous  and  fierce. 

We  opened  fire  from  the  loop-holes  in  the  ram 
part,  and  as  our  friends  on  the  walls  above  us  con 
tinued  their  good  work  of  throwing  canisters,  the 
havoc  we  wrought  among  our  assailants  was 
frightful;  whole  lines  were  annihilated  at  once. 

Still,  fast  as  those  in  front  fell,  others  climbed 
up  from  below,  and,  gaining  a  foothold  on  the 
quivering  bodies  of  the  dead  and  dying,  leaped 
toward  us  as  if  possessed  and  maddened  with 
supernatural  fury.  Therefore,  the  greatest  gaps 
made  by  us  in  that  swarming  multitude  of  hu 
manity  were  hardly  perceptible,  and  despite  our 
every  effort  to  the  contrary,  the  foe  came  nearer. 

Also  did  the  smoke  from  the  exploded  canisters 
impede  us  in  firing  with  such  accuracy  as  we  had 
at  first,  and,  supported  by  a  fresh  body  of  Sepoys, 
the  enemy  suddenly  carried  the  gateway,  crowding 
into  the  court-yard  before  our  breast-work,  until 
it  was  jammed  full  of  men. 

Up  to  this  period  I  had  trembled  for  the  con 
stancy  of  the  thannadar  s  soldiers,  notwithstanding 
they  had  all  displayed  thus  far  remarkable  cool 
ness  and  presence  of  mind.  Greatly  to  my  joy, 
however,  they  still  remained  firm,  and  best  of  all 
fought  like  demons,  just  as  the  natives  of  India 
will  when  driven  into  a  place  from  which  there  is 
no  possible  escape.  Added  to  this,  they  needed 
but  little  attention  or  encouragement,  those  whom 
I  had  placed  in  reserve  back  of  the  breast-work, 
now  rising  up  without  a  word  of  command  and 
pouring  into  the  dense  mass  before  them  a  wither- 


"To  the  Pipers*  Playing."         $07 

ing  fire.  Indeed,  every  shot  told,  and  most  of 
them  twice,  if  not  three  times. 

The  survivors^  blackened  with  soot  and  dirt  and 
covered  with  blood,  only  gnashed  their  teeth  and 
pressed  forward  more  fiercely.  Kegardless  of 
death  or  wounds,  they  surged  upon  us  like  the 
swell  of  an  angry  sea,  and  in  another  moment  were 
engaging  us  hand-to-hand  over  the  breast-work. 

Then  it  was  a  prodigious  din  arose.  The  breach 
in  the  rampart  having  been  rushed  at  about  the 
same  time  the  gateway  had,  the  colonel,  in  en 
deavoring  to  hold  that,  was  undergoing  experi 
ences  similar  to  my  own.  Therefore,  commands 
could  no  longer  be  heard;  thev  were  instantly 
drowned  in  the  terrible  uproar  which  merged  all 
sounds,  as  the  crash  of  canisters,  the  groans  of  the 
wounded,  the  shrieks  of  the  dying,  the  sharp  in 
cessant  crack  of  the  revolvers,  the  hissing  of  gren 
ades,  the  clash  of  steel  against  steel,  and  the  shouts 
and  imprecations. 

In  spite  of  all  we  were  unable  to  check  the  fa 
natical  rush  of  the  enemy.  As  fast  as  we  cut  those 
down  in  front,  fresh  ones  leaped  up  to  take  their 
places,  and  soon  there  was  a  wall  of  dead  bodies 
before  us  in  the  court-yard  higher  than  our  breast 
work.  Moreover,  now  that  we  were  so  occupied 
there,  less  opposition  had  we  to  offer  those  pressing 
up  the  hill  on  the  outside.  Hence,  through  that 
gateway  poured  our  assailants  like  an  irresistible 
torrent. 

The  rest  of  the  fight  I  remember  but  vaguely. 
Laboring  wildly,  savagely,  desperately,  despairingly 
with  our  men,  Pyu  Yet  and  I  oscillated  back  and 
forth,  as  it  were,  among  the  debris  back  of  our 


Zanee  Kooraii. 

breast-work,  in  a  line,  so  called,  which  grew  thin 
ner  and  thinner,  frailer  and  frailer,  weaker  and 
weaker.  Strange  lights  now  danced  before  my 
eyes,  and  I  became  insensible  to  the  piles  of 
corpses,  groans,  cries,  unearthly  sounds,  terror, 
madness,  chaos,  around  me,  further  than  that  the 
horror  of  it  all  intoxicated  me,  delighted  me. 
Also,  that  the  harder  I  could  smite  and  the  greater 
number  kill,  the  more  I  enjoyed  it;  and  in  dart 
ing  here  and  there,  and  everywhere,  for  that  mat 
ter,  I  seemed  rather  to  float  than  walk. 

Suddenly  I  felt  a  great  oppression  come  over 
me.  I  could  scarcely  breathe,  and  my  sight 
failed  me  my  limbs  refused  to  support  me,  and — 
ah!  could  it  be  true? — I  lay  prostrate — helpless 
— aye,  dead  for  aught  I  knew. 

When  I  regained  consciousness,  I  became  aware 
of  some  one's  supporting  me  in  his  arms,  and 
next,  that  t1  ere  was  tremendous  cheering.  There 
was  no  longer  any  strife  around  me;  no  roar  of 
battle  in  the  air,  but  rather  a  strange,  weird  noise 
which  rose  and  fell  with  the  rhythm  and  sweetness 
of  a  lullaby. 

"What  is  it?"  I  asked,  after  listening  without 
being  able  to  comprehend  things. 

"The  captain  sahib  lives.  He  lives!"  shouted 
Pyu  Yet,  for  he,  I  found,  it  was  who  was  holding 
me. 

"Live?  Why,  of  course  I  do,"  I  exclaimed, 
jumping  to  my  feet. 

"Oh,  better  and  better !"  he  cried,  dancing  about 
me  and  swinging  his  huge  blood-stained  arms  gro 
tesquely. 


"To  the  Pipers'  Playing."         209 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter  with  you,  have  you 
turned  fakir?"  I  asked,  looking  at  him  in  amaze 
ment.  "And  say,  where  is  the  enemy?" 

"Gone,  sahib;  gone.  And,  oh,  we  are  saved. 
You  are  saved ;  the  princess  is  saved ;  I  am  saved ; 
we  are  all  saved,  I  tell  you,  for  the  'plumed  regi 
ment  with  bare  legs'  is  here.  Ho !  Don't  you  hear 
their  little  god  squeal?" 

I  recognized  immediately  in  that  remarkable 
sound,  which  had  suddenly  grown  louder  and 
shriller,  "The  Campbells  are  Coming,"  and  the 
stirring  strains  of  it  thrilled  me  through  and 
through.  Indeed,  it  was  the  sweetest  music  I 
ever  expect  to  hear — at  least,  on  earth;  and  the 
same  applied  to  every  one  else,  I  believe,  who  was 
left  alive  in  the  fortress  of  Culpeedih.  Scram 
bling  up  to  the  rampart,  I  found  all  eyes  turned, 
not  to  the  north,  whence  the  last  of  the  Sepoy  host 
was  disappearing,  but  rather  down  to  the  foot  of 
the  slope,  where  now,  with  tired  but  trium 
phant  tread,  the  first  of  Havelock's  battle-scarred, 
war-worn  veterans,  the  gallant  Seventy-eighth 
Highlanders,  were  swinging  into  view. 


2io  Zanee  Kooran. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE      LAST      BATTLE. 

IT  was  none  too  soon  that  we  had  been  relieved. 
The  heaps  of  slain,  both  of  friend  and  foe,  lying 
among  the  debris  in  the  court-yard,  showed  me 
that — though  these  testified  that  we  had  made  a 
desperate  defense  and  a  creditable  fight. 

Up  on  the  walls  of  the  fortress,  Koambux  had 
been  shot  dead  while  receiving  instructions  from 
Captain  Winslow.  Charlie  had,  in  fact,  seen  one- 
half  of  his  command  killed  or  disabled,  when  sud 
denly  the  heat,  combined  with  the  noise  and  ex 
citement,  overcame  him,  and  he,  too,  was  put  out 
of  action. 

Fortunately  he  was  crouching  behind  a  frag 
ment  of  wall  at  the  time,  and  this  had  protected 
him  from  the  bullets  of  the  enemy;  but,  alas,  not 
from  the  scorching,  relentless  rays  of  the  sun. 
There  the  poor  fellow  had  lain  in  a  critical  con 
dition,  till  after  the  fight,  when  he  was  found  and 
brought  down  by  some  of  his  men,  who  survived 
it ;  for,  although  deprived  of  their  leaders,  they  had 
continued  to  throw  canisters,  and  fought  on  stub 
bornly,  until,  at  last,  the  Sepoys  drew  off  through 
fear  of  Havelock's  approaching  heroes,  and  fled. 


The  Last  Battle.  211 

Equally  obstinate  and  more  desperate  had  been 
the  defense  made  at  the  breach  in  the  rampart. 
This  had  been  carried  at  about  the  same  time  the 
gateway  had,  and  in  the  hand-to-hand  struggle 
thereupon  ensuing,  the  colonel  was  slightly 
wounded,  the  thannadar  severely,  and  Majub  the 
Juggler,  mortally ;  while  as  to  the  men  under  them, 
hardly  one-third  were  left  alive,  and  all  of  these 
were  more  or  less  injured. 

Nor  in  defending  the  gateway  had  my  men 
fared  any  better,  except  in  the  case  of  Pyu  Yet. 
He,  wonderful  to  relate,  had  come  through  the  en 
counter  without  harm — not  even  a  scratch  or 
bruise;  and  it  was  to  him  chiefly  that  I  owed  my 
life  and  liberty,  though  for  that  matter  we  all  did, 
the  preservation  of  the  garrison  having  at  the  last 
minute  devolved  on  him,  and  him  alone. 

When  I  had  fallen  among  the  debris  behind  our 
breast-work,  it  had  been  due  to  my  feet  being 
knocked  from  under  me,  which  not  only  placed  me 
at  a  serious  disadvantage  to  defend  myself,  but  in 
falling  my  head  had  struck  on  a  stone,  and  I  was 
made  unconscious.  The  enemy,  in  the  meantime, 
was  pressing  us  hard,  and  in  a  moment  two  savagt 
Mussulmans  had  stooped  over  me  to  bury  their 
gleaming  tulwars  in  my  body. 

I  should  without  doubt  have  been  hacked  into 
pieces,  but  for  the  timely  assistance  of  Pyu  Yet. 

He,  faithful  fellow,  had  perceived  my  danger, 
notwithstanding  the  wild  tumult  that  prevailed, 
and  before  either  of  my  would-be  murderers  could 
turn  their  weapons  against  him,  he  sprang  upon 
them  and  dispatched  them  both. 

Then,  taking  my  place  as  commander,  he  had 


212  Zanee  Kooran. 

rallied  such  of  the  thannadar's  men  as  were  left, 
and  these  so  encouraged  by  further  prowess  that 
they  checked  the  other  assailants,  and  next  forced 
them  back  to  the  gateway — there  held  them  station 
ary,  as  it  were,  until  the  Sepoys  down  on  the  plain 
had  become  panic-stricken  at  the  approach  of  the 
Highlanders — the  sole  detachment  Havelock  had 
been  able  to  send  to  our  assistance — who  now  hove 
in  sight,  and  the  enemy  melting  away,  we  were  in 
deed  saved. 

Saved !  Ah,  what  magic  in  the  word !  What  a 
load  of  long  accumulated  suspense  it  lifted  off 
the  heart!  What  a  grand  panorama  of  future 
prospects  it  awoke ! 

Nana  Sahib  would  no  longer  persecute  us;  no 
longer  need  Zanee  Kooran  fear  him.  Like  an 
avenging  angel,  General  Havelock,  with  his  little 
army — all  told,  it  numbered  not  two  thousand  men 
— had  advanced  so  surely  and  steadily,  despite 
every  impediment,  from  Allahabad,  that  already  the 
Rajah's  ill-gotten  power  was  beginning  to  wane, 
his  flagitious  glory  to  fade.  As  his  sun  had  risen 
bathed  in  the  blood  of  the  helpless,  and  the  inno 
cent,  it  was  at  last  about  to  set,  obscured  by  the 
wrath  of  justice — aye,  inevitable  fruits  of  his  sow 
ings.  Retribution  for  him  was  now  at  hand.  Only 
one  more  blow,  and  the  equilibrium  of  the  gory 
height  to  which  he  had  attained,  would  be  gone 
from  him  irretrievably.  At  Cawnpore,  within 
sight  of  the  suburbs  of  the  old  city — that  city  which 
had  been  the  theatre  for  so  many  great  atrocities — 
the  Nana  and  his  fiendish  host  were  at  last  threat 
ened  by  Havelock's  whole  army.  The  Sixty-fourth 
and  Eighty-fourth  Infantry  were  there,  the  Ma- 


The  Last  Battle.  213 

dras  Fusileers,  Captain  Maude,  with  his  gallant 
battery,  and,  not  to  speak  of  other  detachments — 
some  of  them  being  loyal  natives,  and  of  whom 
the  Ferozepore  Eegiment  (Sikhs)  deserves  especial 
mention — the  invincible  Seventy-eighth  High 
landers.  Colonel  Richerson  and  I  had  accom 
panied  the  last-named  body  hither  from  Culpeedah. 

We  were  the  only  ones  who  had  come,  however. 
All  the  ihannadar's  men  that  survived  the  assault 
like  Pyu  Yet,  he  included,  had  remained  at  the 
fortress,  to  care  for  the  wounded;  also,  to  guard 
the  camp  and  siege-guns  so  percipitately  aban 
doned  by  the  enemy. 

Long  before  we  arrived  on  the  field  before  Cawn- 
pore,  the  skirmishers  and  artillery  had  already  en 
gaged  the  Sepoys. 

Victorious  as  Havelock  had  so  far  been,  the 
odds  were  still  fearfully  against  him.  Facing 
him,  the  enemy  had  plenty  of  cannon,  occupied  a 
strong  position  and,  what  was  more  to  be  dreaded, 
were  fighting  with  ropes  round  their  necks;  in 
other  words,  they  knew  no  quarter  would  be  given 
them  on  account  of  the  crimes  they  had  com 
mitted,  in  case  they  were  defeated.  Hence,  they 
could  not  help  but  fight. 

Of  course,  all  this  the  general  fully  realized  and 
understood.  Nor  did  he  at  the  same  time  ignore 
the  terrible  strain  he  was  subjecting  his  men  to, 
as  the  following  exemplifies,  taken  from  what  he 
said  himself,  in  writing  of  the  affair :  "To  march 
troops  twenty-four  hours  in  a  broiling  July  sun, 
and  then  bid  them — supperless  and  scarcely  able  to 
walk — to  storm  batteries  and  carry  strongly  in 
trenched  positions,  defended  by  five  times  their 


214  Zanee  Kooran. 

own  number,  seemed  like  testing  their  powers  to  a 
dangerous  extent;  and  only  the  most  extraordi 
nary  circumstances  could  have  justified  it." 

Which  were,  that  the  enemy  must  be  defeated, 
dispersed,  in  order  to  insure  the  safety  of  his  little 
army;  otherwise  he  feared  that  it  might  meet 
with  disaster — so  much  so,  even,  that  only  the  day 
before  he  had  dispatched  a  swift  messenger  to 
Colonel  (now  Brigadier-General)  Neill,  at  Alla 
habad,  imploring  him  to  send  up  reinforcements 
without  delay.  Also,  that  those  women  and  chil 
dren,  supposed  to  be  confined  in  the  Subad-i  Ke 
Kothee,  at  Cawnpore,  he  was  anxious,  like  the  rest 
of  us,  to  release  at  the  earliest  possible  date. 

In  point  of  fact  it  was  owing  to  these  largely 
that  Colonel  Richerson  and  I  were  present  to  lend 
our  assistance  in  achieving  their  rescue. 

Truth  to  tell,  I,  for  my  part,  had  much  rather 
remained  at  Culpeedah  and  partaken  with  Zanee 
Kooran  the  joy  of  our  deliverance ;  aye,  looked  for 
ward  with  her  to  that  period  and  speculated  on 
what  our  happiness  would  be  like,  when  we  had  got 
out  of  this  infernal  land  of  Oude — provided  such 
good  fortune  should  ever  befall  us — and  were  again 
in  that  haven  of  security  and  peace — dear  old 
Benares. 

Still,  on  the  other  hand,  I  wanted  once  more  to 
behold  those  poor  unfortunates  whose  acquaintance 
I  had  made  while  fighting  side-by-sidc  with  their 
husbands  and  fathers,  in  the  intrenchmcnts  on  the 
parade-ground  at  Cawnpore,  when  we  were  defend 
ing  ourselves  against  such  fearful  odds,  and  be  as 
sured  of  their  safety.  Zanee  Kooran — dear  girl, 
had  feared  all  along  that  the  Rajah  would  ul- 


The  Last  Battle.  215 

timately  vent  his  spite  on  them;  and  now — now 
the  tide  of  success  had  turned  against  him,  she  was 
positive. 

"I  can't  help  it,  Henry,"  she  said  to  me,  as  we 
parted,  "and  I  know  it  isn't  right  for  me  to  add 
gloom  to  the  hardships  you  have  already  borne; 
but  somehow  I  feel  that  a  frightful  disappointment 
— a  shocking  horror  awaits  you  Englishmen  at 
Cawnpore.  I  hope — I  pray  it  is  not  so;  I  try  to 
make  myself  believe  it  is  not.  But  no,  my  better 
judgment  tells  me,  alas !  it  is." 

Hence,  I  had  cause  to  be  anxious  about  the  mat 
ter.  And  so,  all  the  more  eagerly  I  had  accom 
panied  the  Highlanders  to  aid  Havelock  in  deliver 
ing  at  the  Sepoys  a  crushing  blow. 

It  had  been  no  easy  task  for  me  to  tear  myself 
away  from  Zanee  Kooran. 

My  heart  had  nearly  failed  me  at  the  thought; 
the  more  so  because  she  had  clung  to  me  as  if  she 
could  never  let  me  go.  Indeed,  as  I  hastened  away 
from  her  in  the  hospital  chamber  to  join  the  colonel 
preparatory  to  our  setting  out  with  the  High 
landers,  I  had  not  dared  look  back,  lest  the  tempta 
tion  to  return  and  remain  with  her  should  have 
been  too  strong;  rather  I  had  impressed  on  my 
mind  as  much  as  possible  her  God-speed,  her  sweet 
"Heaven  bless  and  keep  you,  Henry,"  and  hurried 
away. 

Now,  however,  that  I  heard  again  the  booming 
of  the  cannon — those  deep,  inspiring  volumes  of 
sound — and  the  roll  of  the  musketry,  mingling 
with  the  malignant  howls  of  the  enemy,  my  old 
hatred  for  the  Nana  returned,  and  superseded 
every  thought  of  fear. 


216  Zanee  Kooran. 

Havelock  himself  was  riding  up  and  down  the 
lines,  scanning  with  anxious  eye  the  condition  of 
his  troops  under  this  terrible  ordeal.  He  found 
them,  alas,  reeling  in  the  ranks,  with  glaring  eye 
balls,  while  some  were  falling  to  the  earth 
at  almost  every  step,  utterly  exhausted  or  insen 
sible.  Not  a  line  relaxed  on  his  iron  countenance, 
however,  and  not  once  did  his  resolution  seem  to 
falter.  Though  it  was  plainly  evident  that  his 
heart  was  sorely  tried  at  the  sight  of  his  exhausted 
men,  he  would  not,  in  his  great  compassion  for 
those  captives  of  Nana  Sahib,  see  impossibilities; 
and  so  heroic  was  their  devotion  to  him,  they,  in 
turn,  would  quail  before  no  hardships  or  fatigue. 
So  long  as  he  was  able  to  lead  them,  they  would 
follow  him,  if  it  was  in  the  power  of  mankind. 
And  thus  it  was  made  manifest  to  me  how — 

"True  fortitude  is  seen  in  great  exploits 
That  justice  warrants,  and  wisdom  guides;" 

for  when,  at  length,  the  bugle's  wild  blast  sounded 
the  onset,  they  all  hailed  it  with  delight. 

It  so  happened  that  the  enemy's  guns  were  too 
strongly  posted  to  be  silenced,  though  menaced 
from  the  rear,  it  had,  indeed,  been  a  cruel  period 
of  suspense;  but  now  that  the  Seventy-eighth  was 
ordered  to  take  the  foremost  position  by  assault, 
the  Highlanders  moved  forward  to  the  work  in  a 
steady  line.  Then,  having  come  within  one  hun 
dred  yards  of  the  intrenchments,  the  word 
"Charge !"  suddenly  rang  out,  and  away  they  went 
for  it  with  a  wild  rush — an  irresistible  dash. 

Not  a  shot  was  fired,  not  a  shout  uttered,  how- 


The  Last  Battle.  217 

ever,  as  they  threw  themselves  upon  the  mutineers ; 
no,  the  bayonet  did  its  work  silently  and  grimty, 
and  perhaps  for  that  reason  all  the  more  thor 
oughly,  since  under  the  fierce  inspiration  of  the 
need  and  opportunity,  each  and  every  man  became 
a  host,  and  those  who  had  been  ready  to  sink  down 
but  a  few  minutes  before,  were  giants  now. 

They  forced  the  Sepoys  back,  and  ere  long  had 
effected  a  breach  in  their  line.  Whereupon 
closely  followed  by  the  Sixty-fourth  men,  and 
these,  in  turn,  by  the  Sikhs,  each  of  whom  vied 
with  the  other  in  the  ardor  with  which  they 
charged  the  foe,  position  after  position  was  carried, 
the  enemy  fighting  stubbornly,  but  in  vain. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  opposition  they  offered 
served  as  a  stimulus  to  those  desperate  soldiers, 
and  the  deeds  of  that  engagement  are  almost  be 
yond  belief.  Even  to  myself,  a  participator,  they 
would  have  appeared  incredible  but  for  the 
prodigies  of  valor — the  apparently  impossible  feata 
which  I  had  already  seen  performed. 

Now  onward  the  whole  force  swept,  like  a  hur 
ricane,  and  the  heroism  of  individuals  became 
marvelous,  even  sublime.  Among  others,  a  young 
son  of  the  general  covered  himself  with  glory  in 
leading  an  important  charge. 

But,  if  I  do  say  it,  the  most  desperately  gal 
lant  man  on  that  field  that  day — the  man  whose 
hand  inflicted  upon  the  enemy  the  most  loss  and 
struck  greatest  terror  into  them — was  Colonel 
Howard  Richerson. 

Notwithstanding  his  wound,  a  tulwar  cut  in  the 
left  arm,  he  was  here,  there  and  everywhere,  now 


2i8  Zanee  Kooran. 

leading,  now  directing,  as  the  case  might  be,  and 
always  with  success. 

"Courage,  my  boys !"  he  would  shout,  if  at  any 
point  he  saw  an  officer  fall;  "courage,  I  say,  and 
steady  now.  Keep  the  centre  straight  there. 
That's  right.  Never  mind  that  crew  over  yonder ; 
the  Sikhs'll  take  care  of  them.  Here's  the  ras 
cals  we  want  to  deal  with;  so  at  them  now.  At 
them,  I  say !  Forward ! — charge !" 

Then,  as  away  they  dashed,  panting  and  wild- 
eyed,  but  resolute  and  unerring,  frequently  he 
would  add : 

"Now,  don't  mind  their  appeals  for  mercy; 
let  compassion  restrain  not  a  single  hand,  lie- 
member  the  martyrdom  of  Wheeler,  Scott,  Ban 
ning,  and  all  the  rest,  including  the  good  old 
chaplain,  Moncrieff.  Ah,  boys,  if  you  could  only 
have  seen  him — him  and  Sir  Hugh,  as  I  saw 
them,  when  they  fell !  How  did  they  die  ?  They 
perished  in  each  other's  arms,  and  oh !  never  were 
men  more  resigned  to  their  fate,  never  more  com 
posed.  The  others,  too,  died  like  soldiers;  and  all 
— all,  I  say,  were  massacred  right  in  sight  and 
hearing  of  those  poor  creatures  over  there,  in  the 
Subada  Ke  Kothee.  Great  powers !  What  a  spec 
tacle  it  was.  How  their  cries  for  mercy  mingled 
with  the  shrieks  of  the  dying !  But  shrillest  and 
loudest  of  all  were  the  jeers  of  the  butchers — oh ! 
they  of  whom  these  very  fiends  before  us  are  asso 
ciates,  if  not  the  men  themselves.  At  them,  then, 
my  brave  boys !  Oh !  smite — smite  as  you  never 
smote  before,  for  now  is  your  chance.  Be  sure, 
too,  that  you  leave  no  part  of  your  work  undone! 
Don't  fear.  The  (rod  of  battles  will  watch  over 


The  Last  Battle.  219 

and  keep  you  to-day.  Yes,  He  will  give  us  vic 
tory.  So,  at  them — at  them,  I  say,  and  win  glory 
for  the  Union  Jack,  and  the  Queen,  and  Old  Eng 
land,  that  will  endure  forever  and  ever!" 

Accordingly,  before  the  on-coming  tide  of  in 
cited  humanity  the  Sepoys  would  draw  back,  as 
if  deprived  of  the  power  to  fight,  or  even  flee. 
For,  in  truth,  some  would  throw  down  their  arms 
and  huddle  together  like  cattle  in  a  storm — aye, 
as  if  palsied  by  the  sight  of  those  dreaded  bay 
onets — that  advancing  wave  of  merciless  steel; 
while  others  would  drop  on  their  knees,  perhaps, 
and  bellow  for  mercy,  and  others  cover  their  faces 
with  their  hands,  so  that  they  might  not  see  the 
approach  of  death,  or  else  throw  themselves  upon 
the  ground,  face  downwards,  a  few — only  a  very 
few  resisting  with  the  desperation  of  despair  to 
the  last. 

Slower  now  the  wave  would  move,  but  anon 
faster,  and  then,  where  it  had  been  stayed  longest, 
the  dead  would  lie  on  top  of  the  dead,  the  flesh 
still  quivering,  the  limbs  hardly  through  convuls 
ing. 

In  this  manner  the  slaughter  went  on;  for  few 
prisoners  were  taken  and  none  of  the  wounded 
were  spared.  Through  it  all,  Colonel  Richerson 
was  one  of  the  central  figures.  Men  followed 
where  he  led,  gazing  at  him  in  wonder,  while  the 
Sepoys,  on  the  other  hand,  either  sank  down  or 
fled  from  before  him,  terrified. 

On  one  occasion  I  beheld  a  twenty-four  pounder 
gun  which,  in  the  hands  of  a  score  of  them,  had 
gained  an  enfilading  position  against  the  Sixty- 
fourth  men,  and  in  another  moment  would  have 


Zanee  Kooran. 

opened  a  storm  of  grape  and  canister  that  must 
have  been  fatal.  Richerson,  however,  mounted  on 
a  horse  which  he  had  caught  from  a  Mussulman 
chief,  saw  the  danger,  and,  single-handed,  dashed 
thither  to  prevent  it ;  and,  owing  now  to  his  fero 
cious  appearance,  his  shouting,  and  the  fall  of  two 
men  who  had  come  first  in  his  way,  he  carried 
such  terror  to  the  rest  that  they  turned  and  fled 
from  the  gun  at  the  top  of  their  speed.  Where 
fore,  I  shortly  afterwards  assumed  charge  of  that 
piece  of  ordnance  myself,  and,  assisted  by  six  men 
of  Captain  Maude's  battery,  turned  it  to  good 
effect  upon  its  recent  owners. 

Thus  the  battle  hotly  raged  until  the  going 
down  of  the  sun ;  when,  suddenly,  wild  huzzas  rang 
out,  announcing  that  the  last  intrenchment  was 
taken,  the  enemy  everywhere  beaten,  the  victory 
won!  The  heroic  Highlanders,  at  the  front, 
started  the  glad  acclaim,  and  soon  it  was  ringing 
through  the  whole  line. 

But,  although  the  Sepoys  were  so  completely 
routed  and  at  last  in  full  retreat,  we  still  rushed 
on  in  mad  pursuit  of  them  and,  with  the  relent- 
lessness  of  the  avengers  that  we  were,  continued 
the  slaughter.  We  kept  it  up,  in  fact,  till  the 
ehades  of  evening  made  further  advance  imprac 
ticable,  when,  as  we  halted,  the  last  of  the  fleeing 
Hindus  could  be  seen  in  the  distance,  flitting  away 
into  the  absorbing  gloom  like  fading  spectres  in 
the  ghostly  panorama  of  night. 

Then,  in  sight  of  the  old  barracks  of  Cawn- 
pore,  Havelock's  men,  utterly  worn  out,  having 
made  that  day  a  march  of  twenty-two  miles  and 
a  doubtful  battle  after  five  hours  of  hard 


The  Last  Battle.  221 

fighting  beneath  a  sun  of  tremendous  power,  all 
sank  down,  supperless,  upon  the  earth. 

Colonel  Kicherson  and  I  likewise  sought  our 
couch  there  side  by  side  on  the  sand,  more  ex 
hausted,  if  possible,  than  any  of  the  rest.  But, 
for  all  this,  and  the  fact  that  we  were  both  used 
to  soldiering,  we  could  not  sleep.  Why?  Be 
cause  horrible  doubts  and  fears  assailed  us,  so  that 
many  a  time  during  that  long,  tedious  night  we 
were  glad  to  sit  up  and,  by  the  faint,  friendly 
glow  of  the  twinkling  stars,  gaze  in  the  direc 
tion  of  that  city  where,  in  company  with  Sir  Hugh 
and  his  men,  we  had  experienced  such  privations, 
difficulties,  anguish,  horror.  Ah,  the  only  bright 
hope  awaiting  us  there  now — the  sole  reward  we 
expected  to  receive  on  the  morrow — was  the  pleas 
ure  of  seeing  our  countrywomen  released  from 
the  hands  of  their  treacherous  jailers. 

Alas !  If  we  could  only  have  known.  And 
yet,  perhaps  it  was  just  as  well  we  did  not.  Why  ? 
Because  in  that  case  I  verily  believe  every  one  of 
us  in  that  reclining  army  would  have  risen  and, 
despite  wounds,  hunger,  thirst — aye,  despite  the 
thousand  and  one  pains  resulting  from  the  terri 
ble  ordeal  through  which  we  had  already  passed, 
and  were  still  passing,  staggered  on  in  the  dark, 
searching  for  the  Sepoys  until  we  had  either  ex 
pired  from  exhaustion  or  gone  stark  mad. 


222  Zanee  Kooran. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

MOURNING  AND  MYSTIFICATION. 

WITH  the  break  of  day,  Havelock  and  his  heroes 
were  up  betimes.  New  life,  fresh  hope,  bright 
prospects  awaiting  them,  I  saw  in  nearly  every 
eye  the  joy,  the  triumph,  the  intoxication  atten 
dant  upon  the  owner's  vision  of  now  performing 
the  sequel  to  yesterday's  terrible  task. 

We  did  not  expect  that  the  Sepoys  would  offer 
us  any  further  opposition.  Indeed,  how  could 
they  when  their  camp,  supplies,  guns,  ammuni 
tion,  much  of  their  accoutrements  and  small  arms 
even,  were  gone  from  them?  Ah,  the  probability 
was  they  were  as  much  disheartened  by  their  losses 
as  we  elated  over  our  success. 

Nevertheless,  the  sun  was  not  yet  smiling  upon 
us  from  out  of  the  Eastern  Universe,  when  we 
were  all  startled  by  the  distant  boom  of  a  cannon ; 
the  echoes  of  which  having  died  away,  an  explo 
sion  ensued  that  shook  the  very  ground  where  we 
stood ;  and  hardly  had  we  recovered  from  this 
shock,  when  our  attention  was  attracted  by  a  dense 
column  of  smoke,  rolling  upward  beyond  the  city 
walls. 


Mourning  and  Mystification.        223 

Our  spirits  accordingly  sank  not  a  little,  for 
we  now  knew  that  the  great  magazine  there  had 
been  blown  up.  By  whom  ?  Ah,  whom  else  than 
the  Nana?  In  his  helplessness,  his  despair — aye, 
in  his  realizing,  as  he  could  not  help  but  do,  how, 
from  our  having  defeated  eleven  thousand  of  his 
countrymen,  and  that  with  every  advantage  in 
their  favor,  his  own  life  must  be  in  danger,  he 
was  probably  retreating. 

The  peril  which  had  so  long  hovered  over  those 
two  hundred  women  and  children  whom  we  hoped 
to  release,  was  manifest.  I  saw  that  every  one, 
for  the  most  part,  suddenly  fell  prey  to  horrible 
doubts  and  fears.  Faces  serene,  confident  but  a 
moment  before,  were  pale  and  stern  now.  A  nerv 
ous  fervor  possessed  us  all,  even  Havelock  himself. 

We  were  as  impatient  to  be  off  as  participants  in 
a  fox-hunt;  and  when  the  notes  of  the  bugle 
called  upon  us  to  fall  in,  as  it  very  soon  did,  the 
joy  with  which  it  was  received  and  obeyed  was 
intense. 

We  in  due  time  entered  by  the  Subada  Ke 
Kothee  gate.  Here  Havelock  and  his  staff,  to 
gether  with  other  officers,  including  Eicherson  and 
myself,  who  were  riding  at  the  head  of  the  col 
umn,  halted  near  the  prison,  surprised,  let  alone 
awed,  that  neither  welcome  nor  resistance  should 
be  met  with. 

For,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  not  a  Sepoy — not  even 
a  single  native  bearing  arms,  had  we  thus  far 
seen.  No,  only  a  wretched  pariah,  in  filthy  rags, 
was  caught  sight  of  as  we  swung  into  the  court 
yard  ;  and  he  had  at  once  slunk  away.  Evidently 
he  had  been  there  seeking  plumper. 


'224  Zanee  Kooran. 

With  an  increasing  presentiment — with  a  fore 
boding  that  began  almost  to  nauseate  us,  we  stood 
there  a  minute  longer,  listening  eagerly  for  some 
sound  at  least  of  innocent,  prattling  children; 
peering  everywhere  with  sharp,  suspicious  eyes  to 
discover,  if  possible,  if  any  trap  or  treachery  had 
been  prepared  for  us. 

It  was  unavailing,  however.  Not  another  per 
son  appeared,  and  no  sounds  further  than  those 
made  by  our  own  breathing,  arose.  All  in  all, 
the  place  was  enveloped  in  a  silence  as  oppressive 
as  that  of  the  tomb. 

Filled  now  with  a  painful  dread  indeed,  we 
again  pressed  forward,  and  alas,  that  I  have  to 
record  it,  came  upon  a  scene  which  confirmed  the 
worst  fears  of  the  most  pessimistic  among  us. 

Strewn  around  on  the  pavement,  in  blood  ap 
parently  two  days  old,  were  fragments  of  dresses 
and  underclothing,  and  other  articles  of  attire 
worn  only  by  European  women  and  children;  and, 
lastly,  but  not  least,  long  locks  of  gory  hair — oh ! 
shocking  mementos  now  to  behold,  and,  like  the 
rest,  silent  but  eloquent,  convincing  testimonials 
of  the  wholesale  butchery  which  had  taken  place 
in  the  prison.  On  rushing  across  this  awful  space, 
dumb  and  terror-stricken,  and  entering  the  dark 
rooms  beyond,  we  found,  when  our  eyes  had  be 
come  accustomed  to  the  gloom,  that  which  made 
us  gaze  about  us  like  men  in  a  ghastly  dream. 

Here,  not  only  was  the  floor  covered  with  blood 
an  inch  deep,  but  in  it,  more  or  less  submerged, 
was  every  conceivable  kind  of  wearing  apparel  of 
women  and  children;  also,  a  hundred  worn  and 
tattered  ornaments  that  had  come  through  the 


Mourning  and  Mystification.        225 

long  ordeal  of  suffering,  to  be  thus  put  off  at 
last !  Not  only  was  the  blood  on  the  floor,  but  the 
walls  were  thickly  sprinkled  with  it,  while,  equally 
dreadful  to  behold,  bullet-marks  were  everywhere 
visible.  The  wooden  columns  and  pilasters  of 
the  place  were  covered  with  deep  sword  cuts,  hang 
ing  still  from  which  were  locks  and  tresses  of  hair, 
left  there,  without  a  doubt,  by  the  relentless  blades 
when  they  had  so  cruelly  cloven  the  flowing 
crowns.  None  of  those  cuts  were  high  up,  as  if 
aimed  at  persons  who  were  fighting  for  their  lives, 
but  instead  low  down,  showing  that  the  murder 
ous  blows  had  all  been  dealt  upon  crouching  wo 
men  and  children.  In  proofs  whereof,  we  even 
picked  up  babies'  shoes  with  the  tiny  feet  sticking 
in  them! 

But  further  than  this  not  the  semblance  of  a 
mutilated  form  was  to  be  seen  there;  the  marvel 
of  which  made  us  turn  and  look  at  one  another, 
surprised,  bewildered,  dazed.  Where,  then,  were 
the  remains  of  this  diabolical  hate? 

Ah,  as  if  in  answer  to  our  silent  query,  shouts 
now  arose  outside  in  the  yard — shouts  of  amaze 
ment  and  horror.  Accordingly,  hastening  thither, 
we  found  a  crowd  congregated  about  the  great 
well.  Human  limbs  had  been  seen  to  protrude 
from  it,  which,  having  been  removed,  showed  it  to 
be  filled  to  the  brim  with  the  forms  of  Nana 
Sahib's  victims.  Yes,  all  of  them,  after  being 
massacred,  had  been  cast,  the  young  and  old — 
wife,  mother,  daughter,  sister,  whichever  the  case 
might  have  been — into  this  horrible  pit ! 

It  was  a  revolting  task — the  clearing  of  that 
well  of  its  ghastly  burden,  and  one  heart-rending 


226  Zanee  Kooran. 

in  the  extreme.  So  much  so,  even,  that  many  of 
the  soldiers,  who  hnd  struggled  so  heroically 
against  the  heat  and  a  host  of  foes  in  getting 
here,  broke  down  and  wept  like  children. 

"God  helping  me,  I  will  have  the  Nana's  life  for 
this,"  said  Sir  Henry  Havelock,  taking  each  of  us 
at  this  juncture  solemnly  by  the  hand ;  "and  never 
from  now  on  shall  quarter  be  given  to  any  of  the 
Sepoys  found  in  arms !'' 

Hearing  the  oath  of  their  leader,  his  soldiers 
swore  likewise. 

But  why  dwell  longer  on  the  spectacle  of  horror, 
sorrow,  sadness? 

Suffice  it  to  say  that  after  reason  had  been  in 
fused  into  the  minds  of  the  half-demented  soldiers, 
and  a  little  care  taken  of  those  ghastly  forms, 
Havelock  led  his  troops  into  camp,  to  rest,  and 
later  restore  order  again  in  the  town. 

The  next  three  days  were  spent  by  them  in 
hunting  down  the  Sepoys  hiding  in  Cawnpore, 
who  were,  for  the  most  part,  hung  at  once,  with 
the  exception  of  the  leaders. 

These,  having  been  instrumental  in  inciting 
their  inferiors  to  revolt,  were  first  tried  by  court- 
martial  ;  and  being  almost  invariably  found  guilty, 
promptly  sentenced  to  death.  But  not  one  of 
them  was  hung.  No,  they  were  rather  subjected 
to  a  form  of  punishment  which,  from  its  very 
frightfulness  and  celerity,  rendered  us  quite  as 
safe  among  that  treacherous,  uncertain,  barbarous 
element  as  if  we  had  been  in  a  European  settle 
ment. 

It  is  not  the  horror  of  the  mere  mode  of  death 
itself  that  strikes  such  dread  and  terror  into  the 


Mourning  and  Mystification.        227 

minds  of  the  Hindus,  as  the  manner  in  which  their 
peculiar  religious  education  leads  them  to  regard 
the  utter  destruction  and  hopeless  scattering  of 
the  fragments  of  the  body.  This,  they  believe, 
will  deprive  them  of  their  souls  and  make  of  them 
malignant  ghosts  after  death. 

Havelock  took  advantage  of  it,  and  had  those 
leaders  of  the  Sepoys,  who  were  found  most  guilty, 
executed  in  accordance.  They  were  first  lashed, 
each  man  with  his  back  to  the  muzzle  of  a  loaded 
cannon,  and  then  shot  from  the  same.  Wherever 
this  mode  of  punishment  was  from  that  time  em 
ployed,  it  resulted  in  few,  if  any,  germs  of  dis 
content  being  left  to  develop  and  cause  more  trou 
ble  after  the  Great  Eebellion  had  been  crushed. 

I  am  sorry  to  say,  however,  that  no  such  fate, 
to  my  knowledge,  nor  that  of  any  one  else,  as  I 
know  of,  ever  befell  Nana  Sahib. 

Havelock's  little  army  had  been  so  weakened 
by  loss  in  fighting,  sunstrokes  and  disease,  it  was 
impossible  for  us  to  pursue  the  Rajah  then  with 
any  hope  of  catching  him.  We  must  wait  until 
General  Neill  came  up  from  Allahabad  with  re 
inforcements,  and  these  did  not  arrive  till  on  the 
third  day  after  we  had  gone  into  camp. 

Once  the>  were  at  hand,  however,  no  time  was 
lost  in  fitting  out  an  expedition  against  the  Nana. 
On  the  20th  of  July  the  whole  army  proceeded  to 
march  upon  Bithoor,  where  he  was  known  to  be 
strongly  fortified  in  his  own  castle,  with  an  army 
of  five  thousand  men  and  many  cannon. 

It  was  expected,  therefore,  that  he  would  make 
a  desperate  defense.  But,  on  the  contrary,  when 
he  saw  us  approaching,  and  thought,  as  he  must, 


228  Zanee  Kooran, 

how  great  was  the  hate  that  each  of  us  bore  for 
him,  his  courage,  as  well  as  that  of  his  soldiers, 
gave  way,  and  they  fled  without  firing  a  shot. 
They  even  left  their  guns,  elephants  and  baggage, 
so  that  all  these  fell  into  Havelock's  hands,  to 
gether  with  many  men  and  a  large  number  of 
horses.  Hence,  the  only  harm  he  inflicted  on 
the  "Tiger,"  after  all,  was  in  depriving  him  of 
his  resources  and  destroying  his  home  at  Bithoor, 
his  magazine,  palace,  town — in  fact,  everything 
there  belonging  or  pertaining  to  him. 

As  it  turned  out,  no  worse  punishment,  per 
haps,  could  have  been  devised,  for  this  left  him 
without  a  home,  least  of  all,  any  place  of  refuge; 
and  as  if  in  proportion  to  the  magnitude  of  his 
crimes,  he  finally  became  a  wanderer — aye,  a  fugi 
tive,  hunted  like  a|wild  beast,  and  ending  where, 
when,  or  how,  no  one  is  able  to  tell. 

When  the  camp  was  at  length  established,  we 
were  summoned  to  General  Havelock's  tent,  where 
he  received  us  with  marked  cordiality.  In  truth, 
we  were  made  the  heroes  of  the  hour.  Refresh 
ments  were  served,  and  we  were  complimented — 
Richcrson  for  his  conspicuous  bravery  and  valuable 
service  in  the  battle  of  the  day  before,  and  I  for  the 
few  fortunate  achievements  I  had  made  with  the 
twenty-four  pounder  he  had  turned  over  to  me 
after  capturing  it  single-handed  from  the  Sepoys. 

Then,  at  the  general's  request,  the  colonel  re 
lated  in  full  the  unprecedented  defense  made  by 
Sir  Hugh  Wheeler,  and  the  fate  befalling  him  and 
his  men  upon  their  subsequent  surrender  to  Nana 
Sahib.  He  also  described  our  own  adventures — 
how  opportunely  we  had  been  rescued  by  Zanee 


Mourning  and  Mystification.        229 

Kooran,  the  way  she  had  endeavored  to  trap  the 
Eajah  in  the  fortress  of  Culpeedah,  why  it  was 
he  had  slipped  away  from  her  when  she  thought 
she  had  him  secure,  and  what  terrible  difficulties 
we  had  consequently  experienced  in  defending  the 
citadel — especially  just  prior  to  the  Highlanders' 
coming  and  raising  the  siege  for  us. 

"How  you  must  have  suffered,"  Havelock  ex 
claimed,  when  he  had  finished.  "I  little  dreamed 
you  were  reduced  to  such  straits ;  and  if  it  had  not 
been  for  the  couriers  you  sent  me,  and  the  audi 
ble  booming  of  those  guns  bombarding  you  so  in 
cessantly,  I  should  never  have  thought  of  turn 
ing  toward  Culpeedah  to  help  any  one.  Ah,  all 
of  you  would  have  perished.  For  the  Sepoys,  let 
me  tell  you,  tried  in  every  possible  way  to  draw 
our  attention  from  that  place,  and  lead  us  in  an 
entirely  opposite  direction;  they  did  so  particu 
larly  yesterday  morning,  when  I  sent  out  the  High 
landers  to  relieve  you.  Indeed,  they  became  so 
bold  and  threatening  then,  I  dared  not  part  with 
any  more  than  that  regiment ;  it  looked  as  if  there 
would  be  a  heavy  engagement  at  once.  But  there 
was  not  till  in  the  afternoon.  But,  gentlemen, 
you  have  had  a  marvelous  escape;  or,  more  prop 
erly  speaking,  a  series  of  them." 

"Well,  it  does  seem  incredible,  now  it  is  over, 
that  we  are  alive/'  the  colonel  remarked,  as  he 
mopped  his  brow. 

"  'Twas  the  work  of  Providence,"  said  I  rever 
ently,  but  thinking  chiefly  of  Zanee  Kooran. 

"No  doubt  of  it,"  the  general  continued,  ear 
nestly  ;  "and  for  that  reason,  allow  me  to  say,  Cap- 


230  Zanee  Kooran. 

tain  Clcrmontc,  it  pleases  me  all  the  more  to  tell 
you  that  I  think  your  troubles  are  about  over." 

"Why,  sir,  what  do  you  mean?"  I  asked  in  sur 
prise,  even  alarm,  as  he  paused,  for  there  was  an 
unmistakable  significance  in  his  tone.  "Isn't  there 
going  to  be  plenty  of  fighting  for  us  yet  ?" 

"Yes,  for  me  I  suppose  there  is.  That's  what 
I  am  reckoning  on,  at  any  rate,"  he  said,  in  his 
bluff,  frank  way  which,  I  found,  he  used  only 
toward  his  favorite  officers.  "As  you  are  probably 
aware,  gentlemen,  your  old  companion-at-arms, 
General  Neill,  I  hope,  will  be  with  us  in  a  few  days, 
with  reinforcements.  When  he  does  arrive,  I  ex 
pect  to  leave  him  here  in  command  of  a  small 
force  and  with  the  rest  push  on  myself  as  fast 
as  possible  toward  Lucknow,  where  the  beleaguered 
garrison  is  in  a  frightful  situation.  I  must  try 
to  get  there  at  all  odds,  and  for  that  reason  shall 
want  every  true,  able-bodied  man  who  can  accom 
pany  me,  especially  those  officers  whom  I  know 
I  may  depend  and  lean  upon  for  sure  support. 

"But  you,  Captain  Clennonte,  greatly  though 
I  regret  it,  cannot  go  with  me;  neither  can  you 
remain  here.  And  the  same  applies  to  you,  Colonel 
Eichcrson,  and  also  to  your  friend,  Captain  Wins- 
low." 

The  colonel  bowed  to  the  speaker,  who  thus  con 
tinued  : 

"This  does  not  proceed  from  myself,  remem 
ber.  No,  had  I  the  power  to  abide  by  my  own 
wishes,  you  should  both  be  sanctioned  by  me  to 
do  as  you  pleased.  And  yet,  I  hardly  think,  if 
I  were  you,  I  would  have  the  decision  altered, 


Mourning  and  Mystification.        231 

provided  I  could;  certainly  not  in  your  case,  Mr. 
Clermonte." 

I  listened,  more  and  more  surprised,  and  with  a 
strange  mixture  of  dread  and  fear.  As  the  colonel 
sat  very  still,  however,  and  his  face  betrayed  no 
sign  of  emotion,  I  ventured  as  yet  not  a  word  of 
inquiry. 

Meanwhile,  Havelock  drew  a  packet  of  papers 
[from  his  breast-pocket,  and,  selecting  .two,  re 
turned  the  others. 

"These,  gentlemen/'  said  he,  "are  orders  from 
the  Governor-general.  They  were  issued  before  His 
Lordship  knew  of  the  sad  events  which  have  taken 
place  here;  but  that  doesn't  interfere  with  my 
doing  with  them  as  he  intended  Sir  Hugh  Wheeler 
should  have  done.  The  fact  is,  I  am  expected,  now 
that  he  is  dead,  to  act  in  the  place  of  Sir  Hugh. 
Therefore,  I  will  give  one  of  these  orders  to  each 
of  you;  they  will  explain  the  rest." 

Before  either  of  us  had  a  chance  to  examine 
them,  an  orderly  rushed  in  with  the  announce 
ment  that  our  friends  had  arrived  from  Culpeedah, 
and  very  much  desired  the  honor  of  our  presence  at 
once;  the  more  so  as  they  had  in  their  company 
a  stranger  who  earnestly  wished  to  see  us,  and 
myself  in  particular. 

"Go,  gentlemen !"  said  Havelock  authoritatively, 
but  with  an  expression  that  was  a  perfect  enigma ; 
"you'll  be  well  received  by  this  new-comer." 

Truly,  we  were  dumbfounded;  the  very  atmos 
phere  around  us  seemed  to  be  oppressive  with 
mystery. 


232  Zanee  Kooran. 


CHAPTEK  XXI. 

REVELATIONS    AND    REJOICING. 

THE  orderly  conducted  Richerson  and  me  to  a 
bungalow  some  distance  away,  which  stood  alone, 
the  European  residences  on  both  sides  of  it  hav 
ing  been  burned. 

"Your  friends,  sirs,  have  chosen  this  to  dwell 
in,  it  affording  the  ladies  better  accommodations 
than  a  tent  could,"  the  orderly  explained,  when 
we  had  reached  our  destination. 

"Gad !  You  are  alive,  then  ?"  a  cheery,  well- 
known  voice  called  out  to  us  from  the  veranda. 

"Great  powers !  That's  Charlie,"  cried  the 
colonel,  bounding  forward  like  a  boy,  and  mani 
festing  that,  after  all — 

"There  are  no  friends  like  old  friends, 
And  none  so  good  and  true." 

Nor  was  I  very  much  behind  him;  indeed,  we 
were  both  wringing  the  captain's  hand  at  about 
the  same  time. 

"But  where  is  the  new-comer — the  stranger  who 
desires  so  much  to  see  us?"  we  demanded  of  him 


Revelations  and  Rejoicing.          233 

in  unison,  when  he  had  at  length  succeeded  in 
assuring  us  that  he  was  recovering  satisfactorily 
from  his  misfortune  of  yesterday  on  the  walls  of 
Culpeedah;  for  besides  him  and  ourselves,  there 
was  not  a  person  in  sight. 

"I  will  take  you  to  him  now,"  he  said,  escort 
ing  us  into  the  house. 

"We  haven't  had  time  to  make  the  place  very 
cozy,  you  see,"  he  continued,  as  he  led  us  up  a 
barren  hall,  "the  natives  having  carried  away  every 
thing  of  value  here;  but  I  think  there  will  soon 
be  a  certain  degree  of  comfort  restored  to  some 
of  the  rooms.  Verona  and  Lillian,  with  Zanee 
Kooran's  servants,  are  doing  all  they  can  toward 
that  purpose.  One  apartment  they  have  already 
treated — this  is  it,"  he  said,  stopping  before  a 
closed  door. 

"Henry,  suppose  the  colonel  and  I  stroll  around 
a  bit,  and  let  you  enter  first.  Oh,  don't  be 
alarmed;  the  princess  is  there  to  introduce  you 
to  him,"  he  added,  with  a  peculiar  smile. 

Thus  it  was  that  I,  awed  and  mystified,  found 
myself  pushed  into  the  room,  as  it  were,  where 
I  came  face  to  face  with  Zanee  Kooran,  who,  hav 
ing  heard  my  approach,  had  hastened  to  meet 
me. 

She  cast  herself  into  my  arms,  and  the  pleasure 
of  again  pressing  her  to  my  bosom  was  unspeaka 
ble;  for  to  know — to  feel  that  I  was  still  alive — 
ah,  alive  and  unharmed — and  united  to  her  who 
had  become  a  part  of  myself,  banished  the  thought 
of  everything  else.  Indeed,  all  my  past  suffering 
disappeared,  as  mist  in  the  sunshine ;  my  heart  was 
intoxicated  with  love  and  bliss,  my  soul  went  out 


Zanee  RooraA. 

from  me  in  thankfulness,  and  I  felt  like  shouting 
aloud  in  my  joy,  yet  could  not,  it  was  so  great. 

"Zanee!  My  life!  My  love!  Zanee!  My 
own !  My  princess !  What  an  angel  of  mercy  you 
have  been !"  I  finally  managed  to  murmur,  as  I 
covered  her  face  with  kisses,  and  then  lifted  my 
head  to  look  upon  her  heavenly  features. 

"Henry !"  she  whispered ;  "0 !  My  captain ! 
My  hero !  What  happiness  this  is !  How  merci 
ful  the  Lord  has  been,  after  all,  to  bring  you  back 
to  me,  as  He  has,  safe  and  well.  And — 0 ! 
Henry !  Henry !" 

"Well,  what  is  it,  darling?"  I  whispered,  softly, 
still  floating,  as  it  were,  in  elysian  realms. 

"Ah — ah!"  she  breathed;  and  then,  as  soon  as 
she  could  control  her  feelings  sufficiently — for  had 
not  my  coming  been  to  her  like  a  soldier's  back  to 
his  sweetheart  in  the  fullest  sense  from  the  battle 
field  ? — she  turned,  a  happy  smile  breaking  through 
her  happier  tears,  and  said: 

"0 !  O,  my  captain !  Here — here  is  a  noble, 
generous  friend  of  ours;  but — it  is  to  you  chiefly 
he  is  nearest  and  dearest.  Go  to  him,  Henry; 
go  to  him,  dear  boy !  and — may  God's  blessings 
attend  you  both  evermore !" 

Ah!  Can  words  convey  the  sensation — half 
fear,  half  joy — that  thrilled  me,  and  thrilled  me 
yet  again,  as  I  now  looked  upon  the  tall,  handsome 
old  man  who  stood  before  me,  erect  and  stately  as 
a  prince?  For  such,  in  truth,  he  was,  though 
his  once  nut-brown  hair  was  at  last  almost  white 
and  hung  low  upon  his  shoulders  in  carefully  kept, 
fanciful  ringlets. 

As  I  beheld  that  dear,  worn  face,  upon  whicK 


Revelations  and  Rejoicing. 

a  great  anxiety  was  now  manifest,  and  those  stern 
lips  parted,  as  if  words  were  back  of  them  that 
the  owner  dared  not  utter,  the  eyes  even  filled 
with  tears,  ready  to  drop  at  the  touch  of  the  next 
emotion  to  come  upon  him,  a  blur — a  film  came 
before  me,  screening  from  my  senses  every  cruel 
recollection  of  the  past,  and,  rushing  blindly  for 
ward,  with  outstretched  arms,  I  exclaimed : 

"Father !  father !  0,  my  father !  Heaven  be 
praised  for  this  blessed,  blessed  hour,  and  say  that 
you  forgive  me !" 

"Forgive?  0,  my  son!  it  is  not  for  me  to 
forgive,  but  to  be  forgiven.  Stop !  Tell  me  that 
you  forgive!  Tell  me! — for  0,  I  cannot  receive 
you  to  my  bosom  unless  I  have  learned  from  your 
own  lips  that  you  do  pardon  and  forgive  I" 

"0,  my  dear,  dear  father,  hear  me  speak  the 
word,  then:  From  my  heart — from  my  heart  of 
hearts  I  forgive." 

"0 !  my  son !  my  Henry !     0 " 

At  this  point,  as  he  pressed  me  to  him,  his 
voice  broke  into  one  great  sob;  and  while  our 
tears  were  intermingled,  Zanee  Kooran  had  turned 
away,  weeping  softly,  and  though  her  ayahs,  as 
well  as  Pyu  Yet,  who  were  present,  had  been  reared 
under  the  doctrines  not  to  believe  in  emotions, 
they,  nevertheless,  found  it  necessary  to  wipe  their 
eyes  again  and  again,  in  order  to  see  clearly  what 
was  going  on  around  them. 

Then,  when  we  could  compose  ourselves  some 
what,  I  took  father  by  the  hand  and  led  him  to 
the  divan  on  which  my  love  now  sat,  her  lovely 
face  in  a  blissful  glow. 

"Dear  father,"  said  I   (my  voice  trembled  in 


236  Zanee  Kooran. 

spite  of  myself,  I  heard) ;  "dear  father,  I  am  in 
duced  to  think  you  have  already  become  acquainted 
with  the  goodness,  the  blessings  bestowed  on  our 
people  by  this  fair  lady.  But  I  want  to  add, 
just  the  same,  that  she  is  the  same  noble  princess 
about  whom  I  wrote  you,  and,  as  it  has  since 
turned  out,  the  preserver  of  my  friends  and  me." 

"My  boy,"  said  he,  half  playfully,  yet  with 
deep  emotion,  "I  have  indeed  learned  to  know  her, 
and  of  her,  and  to  esteem  her.  If  I  should  say 
that  I  loved  her,  I  would  but  poorly  express  the 
full  burden  of  the  affection  she  has  won  from 
me." 

How  my  heart  leaped  with  joy  to  hear  such 
words  issue  from  those  proud  lips.  What  strength 
— what  peace  and  composure  they  brought  me. 
I  felt  as  if  I  could  bid  defiance  to  Nana  Sahib,  to 
the  Sepoys,  to  all  the  infernal  deities  of  India, 
if  necessary. 

Meanwhile,  Zanee  Kooran  quickly  arose  and 
gave  him  her  hand  in  that  charming  way  peculiar 
to  herself,  saying: 

"Sir,  no  more  for  the  present,  if  you  will  but 
let  me  call  you  father." 

"Why,  bless  you,  my  precious  child,  nothing 
would  please  me  better,  for  such  I  hope  to  be 
soon  in  very  truth;  and  yours  may  it  be  to  share 
with  him" — nodding  to  me,  as  he  spoke — "the 
honor  of  the  title  that  must  ere  long  be  his." 

Thus  speaking,  he  took  her  to  his  bosom;  and 
she,  in  the  fullness  of  her  true  heart,  pillowed  her 
head  there,  twining  both  her  arms  at  the  same  time 
around  his  neck.  While  I  stood  by  with  heart 
overflowing  with  joy,  she  murmured  to  him  words 


Revelations  and  Rejoicing.          237 

of  comfort  and  love;  and  he  thanked  and  blessed 
her  for  them. 

I  had  known,  of  course,  that  my  father  was  in 
India ;  his  letter,  which  Zanee  Kooran  had  brought 
me,  led  me  to  expect  that;  but  I  little  thought  of 
meeting  him  so  soon,  provided  I  should  at  all,  and 
certainly  not  in  the  very  midst  of  the  enemy. 

To  what  was  it  due,  then  ?' 

Why,  the  fact  that  he  had  been  sent  out  by  the 
Government — as  he  had  written  me  he  was  going 
to  be — bearing  the  Queen's  commission,  and  with 
important  dispatches,  which  any  reliable  messen 
ger  might  have  borne.  Only  he  had  been,  at  his 
own  request,  further  and  specially  empowered  to 
examine  into  the  causes  which  had  led  to  the  pres 
ent  rebellion;  as  the  seizure  and  confiscation  of 
the  rich  estates  of  the  Oude — measures  much  op 
posed  at  the  time,  but  overruled,  nevertheless,  by 
the  determined  and  stubborn  Dalhousie: — and,  if 
possible,  to  devise  means  whereby  they  could  be 
met  and  overcome. 

"But,  Henry,"  he  concluded,  with  a  happy 
smile,  "the  best  part  of  all  is,  you,  and  your  two 
friends,  are  relieved  here  from  further  duty,  and 
may  se.t  out  with  me  down  the  river  just  as  soon 
as  we  can  make  arrangements." 

"Why,  father,  will  you  have  fulfilled  your  mis 
sion  so  soon?"  I  asked,  in  surprise  mingled  with 
inexpressible  joy. 

"Yes,  my  son,"  he  answered,  "for  it  would  be 
useless  for  me  to  proceed  further;  I  shall  by  that 
time  have  become  acquainted  with  all  the  facts 
Canning  can  make  use  of  at  present.  Moreover, 
he  requested  me  to  turn  back  as  soon  as  I  had 


Zanee  Kooran. 

found  you  and  your  friends ;  in  fact,  gave  me  spe 
cial  orders  which  release  you  here,  that  I  may  get 
back  the  sooner  by  having  you  for  my  escort." 

"And  who  has  the  delivery  of  those  orders?" 
I  asked  eagerly. 

"Why,  the  general,  to  be  sure." 

"Ha!  Then  I  have  received  mine  already/'  I 
cried,  "but  have  had  no  opportunity  to  examine 
it  till  now."  And  I  produced  forthwith  the  paper 
which  had  so  added  to  my  perplexity. 

Just  as  father  said,  it  was  a  "Special  Order," 
issued  from  the  headquarters  of  His  Lordship,  the 
Governor-general,  bearing  date,  June  27th — ah ! 
the  very  day  on  which  Cawnpore  fell, — and  written 
in  the  round  letter-press  caligraphy  of  the  accom 
plished  correspondent,  but  signed  by  the  nervous, 
ornate,  energetic  hand  of  the  chieftain  himself. 
It  simply  ordered  me,  my  part  of  the  mission  in 
regard  to  Nana  Sahib's  suppression  having  failed, 
to  report  at  once  for  duty  to  Colonel  Howard 
Richerson  in  acting  as  an  escort  for  Her  Majesty's 
messenger,  Sir  Edgerton  Clermonte,  K.G.C.B., 
via  Allahabad  to  Benares,  where,  the  order  in 
formed  me,  I  would  be  duly  notified  of  His  Lord 
ship's  further  pleasure.  , 

"Yes,  you  are  likely  to  be  called  to  the  front 
again,"  father  hastened  to  enlighten  me  as  soon 
as  I  finished  my  perusal  of  the  order;  "for  the 
revolt  cannot  be  suppressed  in  a  moment.  But 
at  present  you  and  your  two  friends  are  granted 
what  we  may  call  a  furlough,  His  Lordship  tak 
ing  it  for  a  surety  that  it  would  be  much  ap 
preciated  by  you  after  undergoing  the  horrors  of 
a  siege,  though  he  little  dreamed  it  would  be  so 


Revelations  and  Rejoicing.         239 

terrible — that  you  would  have  to  go  through  two 
sieges  and  fight  desperately,  night  and  day,  to 
save  yourselves  from  the  enemy. 

"Still,  there  is  no  easy  time  before  you  now," 
he  continued.  "Under  the  best  of  circumstances, 
we  cannot  start  until  General  Neill  has  arrived 
with  reinforcements;  then  the  Nana  has  yet  to 
be  conquered,  and  once  we  are  on  the  way  we 
shall  hare  to  look  sharp  that  we  are  not  ambushed 
and  cut  to  pieces  by  some  one  of  the  many  bands 
of  robbers  who  will  be  prowling  about.  However, 
the  princess  informs  me  we  shall  have  a  strong 
retinue — for  she,  of  course,  will  accompany  us. 
Therefore,  if  we  do  reach  Benares  in  safety,  you, 
Henry,  because  of  the  information  and  advice  I 
shall  have  in  store  for  Canning,  will  serve  His 
Lordship  better  in  being  a  part  of  my  escort,  than 
you  or  your  friends  could  in  any  other  way." 

"And  most  heartily  will  it  be  tendered,"  said  I, 
glancing  fondly  at  Zanee  Kooran. 

"Ah,  the  Governor-general  is  a  grand  and  noble 
man,"  she  exclaimed,  a  warm,  effulgent  glow  suf 
fusing  her  beautiful  face;  "the  people  wouldn't 
have  been  robbed  and  all  this  trouble  brought  upon 
our  land,  had  he  arrived  earlier,  I  am  sure." 

"N"o,  perhaps  not,"  said  father.  "Like  the  rest 
of  us,  he  greatly  laments  the  mutiny,  is  much 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  every  one  and,  above 
all,  princess,  in  yours." 

"In  mine?"  she  cried,  in  unfeigned  surprise. 

"Yes,  dear  lady,  in  yours,"  father  answered, 
smiling.  "He  considers  it  a  beautiful  attribute 
of  character — your  venturing  up  here,  to  rescue 
your  friends,  and  was  not  a  little  concerned  lest 


240  Zanee  Kooran. 

you  came  to  harm  through  it.  It  will  afford  him 
much  relief  and  satisfaction,  therefore,  when  he 
hears  of  your  safety;  and  your  heroic  effort  to 
capture  Nana  Sahib,  he,  like  many  another,  will 
never  forget. 

"And  now,  my  dear  child,  allow  me  to  say  that 
when  I  reached  Benares,  I  found  your  parents, 
and  your  mother  especially,  has  left  a  name  which 
is  the  personification  of  what  is  pure,  true  and 
loyal — had  lived,  in  short,  a  life  of  honor  and 
virtue.  Accordingly  the  mystery — for  mystery,  I 
will  now  own,  it  had  been  to  me — was  cleared  up 
regarding  your  remembrance  of  those  in  trouble — 
that  is,  your  kindness  and  noble  devotion  to  your 
friends.  Yes,  I  knew  then  whence  came  the  spirit 
which  has  given  birth  to  such  golden  deeds." 

The  glow  deepened  on  Zanee  Kooran's  cheeks, 
and  tears  of  gratitude  filled  her  eyes,  as  she  said : 

"Ah,  sir,  my  mother — Heaven  bless  her ! — was 
a  good  woman ;  and  she  made  of  my  father  a  good 
man.  I — I  remember  her  well,  and,  while  she 
lived,  she  taught  me  always  what  was  upright  and 
just — how  to  be  a  Christian.  They  tell  me  I 
have  inherited  her  outward  form  and  appearance; 
but  alas,  sir,  I  fear — I  know,  in  fact,  the  beauty 
of  her  inner  self  is  lacking  in  me.  Strive  as 
much  as  I  may  to  be  unselfish,  generous  and  good, 
I  find  myself  daily — aye!  hourly  called  upon  to 
ask  His  pardon  for  endless  faults  and  sins." 

"My  darling,  who  isn't  ?"  I  asked,  my  own  tears 
mingling  now  with  hers.  "To  err  is  human,  re 
member  ;  to  forgive,  divine." 

"Ah,  true — true,  indeed,"  said  father.  And, 
though  he  said  nothing  more,  I  understood  well 


Revelations  and  Rejoicing,          241 

of  what  he  was  thinking.  But  now  the  recollec 
tions  of  the  bitter  quarrel  between  us  marred  not 
our  happiness.  And  as  if  to  compensate  for  all 
our  suffering  in  the  past,  we  seemed  to  be  attended, 
as  it  were,  by  a  choir  of  angels,  whose  singing  raised 
us  up  to  Heaven ;  yes, — 

"To  the  Eden  of  the  blest, 
Where  the  heart  is  always  happy, 

In  a  calm,  unbroken  rest.     .     .     . 

And  the  flowers  never  die, 
But  are  blooming  by  the  river, 

As  it  softly  murmurs  by. 
Where  the  lilies  give  their  incense, 

As  the  fragrant  breezes  blow, 
And  lift  their  balm  to  seraphs 

In  their  perfumed  cups  of  snow.     . 

Where  all  chant  celestial  psalms. 
And  no  storms  or  tempests  ever 

Come  to  mar  eternal  calms" 


There  is  but  little  more  to  tell. 

Colonel  Richerson  was,  like  the  rest  of  us, 
greatly  pleased  with  the  unexpected  and  agreea 
ble  turn  of  affairs.  Indeed,  he  told  me  he  aspired 
to  no  higher  honor  than  that  of  commanding  an 
escort  for  father,  whose  good  will  and  friendship 
he  won  at  the  outset  by  describing,  and  even  dilat 
ing  upon  my  exploits — things  I  had  never  per 
formed — that  is,  not  as  he  had. 

Following  the  arrival  of  General  Neill  from 
Allahabad,  with  reinforcements,  and  the  driving 


242  Zanee  Kooran. 

of  Nana  Sahib  out  of  Bithoor,  the  requisite  ar 
rangements  were  at  last  made  whereby  Colonel  and 
Mrs.  Richerson,  Captain  and  Mrs.  Winslow,  father, 
Zanee  Kooran  and  myself,  with  a  strong  escort, 
set  out  upon  our  journey  down  the  river,  leaving 
Neill  to  assume  command  at  Cawnpore,  while 
Havelock  pushed  on,  with  his  gallant  force,  to  the 
relief  of  Lucknow. 

Owing  to  our  retinue,  which  was  composed  of 
Pyn  Yet,  several  of  the  princess's  Khattriyas — 
men  who  had  fully  recovered  from  the  injuries 
they  sustained  during  the  last  assault  by  the  Se 
poys  on  the  fortress  of  Culpeedah,  together  with 
two  score  of  the  thannadar's  men,  himself  in 
cluded,  who  had  been  equally  fortunate,  and  about 
fifty  Madras  Fusileers,  we  reached  our  destina 
tion,  Benares,  at  length,  without  any  serious  mis 
hap. 

Here  the  colonel,  Charlie  and  myself  were  left 
to  recuperate,  while  father  hastened  on  to  confer 
with  the  Governor-general  and  hand  over  to  him 
his  reports. 

Then,  Charlie  and  the  colonel  having  become 
convalescent  of  their  wounds,  we  three  were  sent 
up  the  river  again — this  time  with  an  adequate 
force  under  us  to  restore  law  and  order  in  certain 
districts  between  Allahabad  and  Mirzapoor. 

Several  weeks  were  consumed  by  us  in  this 
manner ;  and  during  the  time  we  ran  down,  ferreted 
out  and  brought  to  trial  a  large  number  of  rebels, 
many  of  whom,  as  they  had  already  been  pardoned 
once  for  breaking  their  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
Crown,  we  had  shot  as  soon  as  identified,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  who  were  able  to  prove  an  alibi, 


Revelations  and  Rejoicing.         243 

and  the  rest  summarily  punished.  We  also 
brought  relief  to  many  starving  and  homeless  peo 
ple  by  the  judicious  distribution  of  funds,  which 
father  and  Zanee  Kooran  had  jointly  placed  at 
our  disposal  for  this  purpose. 

At  length,  however,  we  were  recalled  to  Benares ; 
and  there  we  Were  surprised  and  elated  almost 
beyond  measure  by  learning  that  we  had  been 
granted  leave  to  return  home,  and  that  with  the 
highest  honors. 

Yes,  thanks  to  father's  influence  and  Havelock's 
favorable  mention  of  us  in  his  official  report, 
Canning's  generosity  was  such  that  he  had  ar 
ranged  matters  whereby  we  were  to  be  retired  at 
our  own  option — the  colonel  as  a  brigadier-gen 
eral,  and  Charlie  and  I  each  as  a  colonel ;  further 
more,  to  be  decorated  with  the  Victoria  Cross,  be 
side  receiving  various  medals  for  fidelity. 

Indeed,  on  our  arrival  at  Calcutta,  we  were 
given  a  grand  reception  in  state  by  His  Lord 
ship,  previous  to  which  he  paraded  us  through 
the  principal  streets  of  the  European  part  of  the 
town  himself,  which  were  in  consequence  thronged 
with  people,  who  everywhere  greeted  us  enthusias 
tically  as  "the  three  invincibles." 

Truly,  our  triumph  was  complete;  and  there 
fore,  as  father  had  now  finished  his  work  of  in 
spection,  he  formed  with  us  a  happy  company 
when,  a  few  days  later,  we  all  embarked  on  a 
staunch  ship  which  was  about  to  set  sail  with  us 
for  the  shores  of  dear  Old  England.  Oh,  doubly 
so  to  me,  for  Zanee  Kooran  was  at  last  my  bride, 
and  Pyu  Yet,  his  wife  and  little  Krishuna  were 


244  Zanee  Kooran. 

with  us,  as  likewise  was  the  good  thannadar  of 
Culpeedah. 

"Ah!"  murmured  Zanee  Kooran,  gazing  fondly 
at  her  dusky  servants,  when  the  ship  had  cast 
loose  from  her  moorings,  with  prow  turned  sea 
ward  preparatory  to  buffeting  the  waves  of  the 
Indian  Ocean ;  "ah,  Henry,  it  would  have  been  in 
deed  a  pitv  to  have  left  such  true  friends  be 
hind." 

"My  darling!"  said  I,  drawing  her  to  me  with 
a  greater  love  for  her  than  I  had  ever  felt  be 
fore;  "Pyu  Yet  once  told  me — it  was  in  Captain 
Winslow's  drawing-room,  if  you  remember — that 
nothing  would  please  him  so  as  to  serve  me  with 
his  life.  It  seems  that,  in  a  way,  his  wish  is  be 
ing  granted." 


THE  END. 


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